


You are my Goddess

by Mikazucchi



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Destructive Behavior, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/F, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Partner Betrayal, Possessive Behavior, Redemption, Violence, mentions of torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:08:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 65,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24354805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikazucchi/pseuds/Mikazucchi
Summary: She, my one and only, fit to be queen, ruler, and goddessI, mind and the soul, raised to live in a world with the most twisted of fates.Time and again, you have proven to me you are worthy,Even if it meant tearing us all apart.Do not worry, i will always be there, for all of eternityTill my time with her, shall be ended once again.
Relationships: Elise/Jane, Elise/OC
Comments: 14
Kudos: 33





	1. And so the cycle begins

**Author's Note:**

> This is my story about Elise and her own summoner OC, Jane. Inspired by SylverStorms, I now finally had the courage to actually put my own story up for everyone to read online. A very big shoutout to her/him for allowing me to use her/his universe as a base setting for the story, and for also allowing me to make cameos of her/his own characters. And thank you to them again for allowing me once more to bend their universe just a tiny bit and for adding additional things in the universe. And yes, this is a gay universe, and i like -no, love- it.
> 
> I have to add something though. Some of the lore in this story isn’t actually canon to the game’s original lore. I added bits and pieces to make things more interesting and for some characters to be more than what they are based on the game, personality wise, and to also add to the story’s depth. Some of the characters who are also vastly different from one another in terms of lore will get a chance to meet and interact with one another, however brief. That is all, i hope you will like this story and please feel free to comment down below on what you think is needed to improve general writing as well as the story more (as it is my first time writing a story online, please be merciful to me :’( ).

_ONE…  
MORE…!_

“Ready to climb to Challenger, Jane?” The one addressed smiled, her wavy platinum blonde hair that cascaded down her shoulders framed her elegant face as her emerald eyes scanned the scenery outside of their train. Jane dreamed of this very moment and now it finally happened. From one of her partner’s companions in the prestigious League of Legends, she got a letter of recommendation to become one of the many summoners gathered from all over Runeterra, to compete for the world championships. Well, some play just as casually and aren’t that keen on getting the wish granting cup. Jane desired to be the same, but as fate would have it she wasn’t as lucky as them. Years spent on honing her skills brought her up to this point, but beyond that, she wouldn’t have stood a chance, if it weren’t for her partner.

Jane moved her attention to the one other being in their private quarters and examined her closely. Short raven hair and crimson colored bangs, eyelashes that hid her ruby slitted eyes like an intricate curtain made of webs, and skin as flawless as a newborn baby. Venom and danger like no other were veiled by an unparalleled beauty and her pride every noxian aristocrat were known for. She was clad in a fur coat with a complex design of red and black that screamed high quality and possibly made with -Jane hoped not- real fur. This deadly predator hidden within an inhuman beauty and uncanny ability to bend the weak minded to her will, a mastermind and a skilled manipulator in a league of her own, is none other than the Spider queen, Elise. Said woman was both bane and boon to her life. On one hand, she saved her a decade of trying to get to the institute as she needed to get proof that she was more than capable of becoming a mage. The bane was that, she was slowly being-

“I’m a bit nervous, but you’ll be there with me all the way, right?” she knows there will come a time where everything will get worse. Jane just hoped that she would reach the rank she needed to be in before all hell breaks loose. 

Elise eyed her from where she sat, her form towering over Jane by at least 4 inches, excluding the heels she wore, which Jane commented as unnecessary. Elise responded by a witty remark saying that the other woman was just destined to be short. Jane stared blankly at that and did not reply any further, gaining a satisfied smirk from the spider queen. She gave the girl a reassuring smile.

“But of course darling. We have a mansion ready for us when we arrive at Valoran, no need to struggle up the ladder when it barely even started, no?” She took a sip with her wine and skimmed through her phone, no doubt texting some important people. Jane pouted and resumed looking outside. She never did pry into what Elise does, what she does know is that it had to do with her becoming a humongous spider. She remembered how they first met. She’d have to thank all her ancestors from the skies above she hadn’t been mauled that day. While walking along the forest that surrounded her home, on the outskirts of Noxus, she saw a woman clad in what remained of her clothing, dragging something, maybe a person, Jane could not tell, behind a tree.

More curious than alarmed, she decided to investigate and found a humongous bloody spider -a kind she had never seen before- actually wrapping up what was once a man. The figure was so drained of its blood that it became a skeleton with hair and skin all intact. The spider’s head whipped its head at her form and revealed two pairs of ruby gemlike eyes. That day, she rethought what fear was.

She was brought back to reality as the conductor of the bullet train they were in spoke through the speakers. _“Ladies and gentlemen, we are now arriving at our last stop, Valoran. I repeat, we are now arriving at our last stop, Valoran. Do not forget your belongings, have a nice day.”_ Jane glanced outside again and saw the biggest domed arena she ever saw in her entire life. From afar the buildings were so tiny compared to it, and the green scenery slowly turned into human settlement. 

Elise was busy looking at herself in her small mirror when she felt a small tug from the sleeve of her coat. With a questioning hum she closed the small thing and turned to face the girl, whose face radiated off her uncontained excitement. She followed her hand that pointed outside and also saw the arena. She was impressed at its architecture, and judging by its sheer size the great arena from Noxus would pale in comparison. 

“Elise, you’re going to make your debut there. Lots of people would watch you go up and be an official Champion.” The way she gushed at Elise was just so adorable, the spider queen was glad she kept the girl alive. She bathed in the genuine praises from Jane and reveled in it. The praises she would receive and continue to receive upon the millions of people that are going to her debut 2 days from now are nothing compared to hers. She could’ve left Jane to her power struggle back in Noxus, but the danger it posed to her while they were very far apart left an unpleasant tingle in Elise’s spine, and so decided to just bring her along, much to the girl’s relief and chagrin. 

“None would best yours, darling.” It was funny how the gleam of her emerald eyes changed the slightest, almost unnoticeable as whoever looked at her would notice the blush on her cheeks instead. “And soon, you’d be showered with their praises as well. On the stage, where all eyes are on you, and on me.” She snaked an arm on Jane’s neck and pulled her closer, the warmth she emitted from her body was greedily soaked up by Elise’s own. It also added to her pleasure as the scent that wafted off of Jane made the spider queen wrap herself over the smaller girl’s form tighter, wanting her all for herself, and no one else’s.

Jane appreciated the comfort that Elise gave. If this were from years ago she would’ve laughed it all and said it’s all just a myth. But no. For whatever reason she could not comprehend, the spider queen began to tolerate her presence around her, and soon enough they were on speaking terms without threatening to bite her neck off.

“No Elise. Both of us know next thing in the morning you would have made a list of all who attended the ceremony and hunt them down one by one. Maybe even wrap them up with a silk ribbon and give them to me as a present.” Jane stared up at Elise with half lidded eyes, daring the older woman to say otherwise. Elise looked offended, but there was no denying she would. Though considering that the event would take place at the league grounds, she might have a very hard time accomplishing the task. 

“I would but that would be unnecessary, Thysania. Unlike a certain demoness I know of that feeds on the misery of others in order to survive, I would be hunted down before the sun would even rise.” She laughed and ruffled Jane’s hair then dove to the crook of her neck and inhaled. Ah, the smell Elise was so fond and irritated of at the same time. It was so alluring and addicting that taking another whiff might put her over the edge and snap. No more words were spoken as they both stayed in this manner before their final stop to Valoran, their new home. 

\------------------------------

“This train station is…..just so massive. I would imagine the size of the central arena!” Hopping off the train Jane admired the fancy yet cozy place they had arrived at. Elise trailed behind her, carrying a small luxurious bag and a pair of sunshades that covered her eyes. People began leaving the train as well. Some were mages and new summoners like her, others were businessmen and families with their children.

Jane took out her phone and checked the time. They were instructed by the institute that they sent some of their personnel to pick them up at exactly 10 am sharp. So far, she hadn’t seen anyone that stuck out like how they described their staff. Though she did notice that as people went by them, some would turn their heads just to look at them both, more specifically, Elise. She just looked so grand under the sunlight, even with her coat on. 

The interior of the station was just as grand as its exterior. The main color theme was a tone of warm brown and shades of green, with hints of gold stated in their curtains and banners. Speaking of banners, there was one representing each of the regions all over Runeterra that were hung high above the ceilings and tapestries, she was surprised even the Shadow Isles had theirs. Jane’s mood diminished a bit at that.

“I think we should just sit down and wait for them. Probably someplace where we can be easily seen.'' The spider queen gave her a killer smile and nodded, following Jane to a nearby bench and crossed her legs to show off her thighs. Why she had done that, Jane did not know, nor did she want to know, but then more heads turned, and most of them were boys in their teens. 

“By the gods, we just came here and now you’re flashing around senselessly. Care to have some decency?” Elise responded by lowering her sunglasses and raised an eyebrow at her. “Excuse me, I'm not “flashing around senselessly,” and I am not even trying to. Men just liked to stare at things and people they like. It's not my fault I'm eye candy.” She then placed her sunshades back on and went back to scanning her phone. Sometimes, Jane wondered how she managed to get Elise to be like this, and if this would actually be the cause of her imminent death. She could only chuckle lightly at that.

Twenty minutes passed as the duo waited patiently for the staff the institute said would pick them up and take them to their mansion. Elise had gotten herself a book that, by the looks of it, could be as old as the spider queen herself. Jane busied herself by looking at the list of champions inside the database of the institute from her phone. These information are given to the public, but she knew there are some that the champions had kept for themselves. From what Elise had told her about, her good friend Evelynn was actually a demon that was under the guise of a very beautiful and gorgeous magenta haired woman that also belonged to the pop group called K/DA. Her voice had earned her the right to be called the Siren among them, while the rest of her crew were composed of the rapper Akali, their choreographer Kai’sa, and their other lead singer, Ahri. Their group became famous across Valoran and then Runeterra, uniting the people all over with similar passion for singing and dancing. Sadly, what they didn't know was that they all hid something dark, not wanting to be found out, and Jane was aware of this fact, and respected it dearly. 

That was because she and Elise were very much the same.

\------------------------------

“OH MY GOD I”M SO SORRY!” Elise and Jane were surprised when out of nowhere a guy in his teens rushed past a number of passing people and headed toward where they were. He wore a blue button shirt with a symbol of a fist on his right breast and matching colored shorts. His messy brown hair was swept up hurriedly and was hidden beneath a white cap.

Both women stared at one another before raising their eyebrows at the boy bent over his knees while panting. Based on what he wore Jane guessed that he was the one that the institute had sent to fetch them. The uniform also matched the description. No doubt that he is indeed the one. “Took you long enough.” Elise started as she got up, her shadow towering over the poor boy’s hunched form. Her eyes gleamed dangerously within the safety of her shades. Jane stood up as well, her medium sized luggage behind her.

“Now now Elise. I thought you’re a woman of patience. He looks like he’s regretting it anyways. Please let this one slide?” She laid a gentle yet firm hand on the spider queen’s arm. Elise could only sigh and faced the shivering boy when she took off her shades and glared at him coldly. “Just this once, I will. And while I am a woman of patience, that does not excuse someone to be tardy, especially if the letter says to be here at 10am SHARP.” The guy flinched at her blunt choice of words, and hung his head low in shame. 

“It’s quite alright. We have the day for ourselves anyway. No need to rush. My name is Jane, what’s yours?” Jane was more than happy enough to move the awkward tension away and just move along with it. She had a knack for such things.

The guy smiled sheepishly and offered to take Jane’s belongings, to which she politely declined. “My name is Kent, and I’m really sorry about being late. I’m not supposed to be the one to take you to your new place. It was a last minute decision because the one I replaced had an emergency leave just this morning. I hope you can forgive me for that.” He started moving, prompting the other two to follow.

As they walked along the various mini tollgates for people who are either VIP, business class or the common class, Jane had eased Kent into a good mood and finally had a skip in his step again. They also found out that he has a ton of knowledge about the league and happily shared it with them. “The Fields of Justice is where you get to fight on a 5v5 against the champions registered in the League. They can be anyone and anything, but they can’t compete if they don’t have their summoners with them.” He continued his talk and hummed a little tune, unaware of Jane and Elise’s stare boring through the back of his head.

The platinum blonde had a small smile on her face and digested the information their little guide happily shared with them, while the spider queen smirked at him with an ominous glint behind her sunshades. “And your arrival is perfect timing, miss Jane. The 2019 season has just ended and all ranks have been reset, making your transition into the current one easy. You won’t be targeted by smurfers as well since they are all so busy increasing their ranks.” 

“I’ve been hearing a lot about people who purposely degrade their ranks just so they can mess other summoners in the lower elo. It’s unfortunate that the League can’t do a thing about it without redoing the system again.” They slowed down a bit as they approached a pair of huge double glass doors, which allows light to filter from outside without the added heat. Jane saw a black sedan parked at the front, and assumed that it was theirs. Kent politely opened the door for them and was rewarded with an angelic smile from Jane herself, Elise merely nodded at his curtsy and simply moved on, her heels clicking on the pavement. 

“Your new home will be fifteen minutes max away from here if we take the path through Valoran’s forest. Doesn’t have too much traffic, and gives a nice view of one of the many lakes surrounding the region. Some people even report that the place became a hang out of sorts for champions who loved their peace and quiet, regardless of where they came from and how they interact. Your suitcase please, miss Jane” This time Jane complied and gave the surprisingly heavy luggage over to Kent, who shook in his knees as he tried to lift it up and over the trunk. After ensuring that everyone was inside the car and no belongings were left behind the station, Jane and Elise were off to their awaiting mansion.

The car ride was quiet and comfortable, well, at least, to the two women. Five minutes in the drive Kent was having shivers running up and down his spine, as if he was being watched by something that had the intent to kill and eat him. Luckily his grip on the steering wheel hadn’t loosened and his legs didn’t start having cramps so everything was still fine. Except when he happened upon a glance in his rearview mirror, he almost slammed his foot on the brakes when he swore he could have seen four pairs of ruby like gemstones for eyes and a pair of pearly white fangs.

He rubbed one of his eyes and stared at the mirror again. All that greeted him were his charges. Jane was leaning against the window with her eyes barely keeping themselves open, and their newest champion, Elise, whose sunshades rested on top of her head, looking bored while skimming through her phone. _‘So it was just my imagination then...hehe, too much caffeine in my body, i guess.’_ Kent gave an awkward chuckle in his mind and set his eyes on the road again, not noticing what’s going on behind him.

 _‘Don’t scare the poor boy Elise, he’s had it rough already.’_ Despite her harsh scolding, Jane couldn’t help but snicker in their private mental link, a link where everything in their mind is open and left none unexplored. Both just chose not to pry into the other’s space, a fact that quickly became well established and only done when needed. The noblewoman decided to tease him as a way to pass the time, by slowly eating away at his sanity.

_‘Oh please, he can handle a few more, maybe put a little more pressure, just to see how he reacts.’ _Elise’s sexy yet mischievous laugh echoed across the entire scape of Jane’s mind, prompting her to sigh and roll her eyes whilst looking out the window. Elise leaned back in her seat with a relaxing breath escaping her lush red lips, curling up into a small smile. If Jane were to describe the woman beside her, the first thing she would’ve said was that Elise is a master at being a prankster, an evil conniving prankster on a whole new level.__

____

She wouldn’t seem like it due to how she skillfully leads someone away from what she’s truly planning, but oh boy when she succeeds it will be hell for her victim. She’d been to one of her pranks herself, seen it in action, and she was beyond sorry for the aristocrats that fell for the deadly queen’s charms. First it would be gentle, cooing, coaxing the chosen victim to come out of their shell, then leads them on, planting delusions on their minds, giving them a false sense of security and total dependence on her, and then suddenly she puts medium amounts of poison on her victims’ food or beverage, planting venomous spiders on their wardrobe, or taking them to forests with paralyzing spores and feed them to her pets alive.

____

It was downright sadistic and twisted to know that that was one of her many past times, but Jane couldn’t exactly call herself a saint either. She idly recalled a time where she accidentally ended a high ranking officer’s life back in Noxus because of a prank herself. All she did was place a bucket filled with muriatic acid on top of the door to see if what he bragged about their new armor withstanding acid is accurate, guess it wasn’t true at all.

____

_‘I wouldn’t have thought of doing that myself. I should try that sometime.’_ A distant laugh echoed in Jane’s mind. _‘So long as you do it away and not at me, I wouldn't care regardless. Toy with them, I still might do, but not to your extent.’_ She sensed an incoming snort from Elise, a lady, raised and trained to become a proper noblewoman, a noxian with a pride much larger than a lion’s, and had the audacity to snort. _‘Do not impose on me, dear. Try to live a century or more and you are certain to try everything at least once. Some habits have been chosen to stay.’_ Jane doesn’t mind when Elise suddenly pops in her mind with words of her own. She chose to just live with it rather than to oppose it, as she knew she would never hear the end of her voice, even in her sleep.

____

It didn’t take more than ten seconds when Jane’s ears rang as a high pitched yelp erupted from their driver. She could easily hear poor Kent gulp and saw that he had goosebumps all over his arms and legs. The poor thing was shaking like a leaf. She turned her head sharply towards Elise as their car took a sudden turn before settling down the road again. Her eyes glared daggers at the nonchalant noxian who held a triumphant smirk in her face. Sighing, Jane placed two fingers on the bridge of her nose and pinched the area hard. Elise didn’t hide her laughter in their mental link and began to annoy Jane.

____

Exasperated, she turned her attention outside and into the forest of Valoran once more. She groaned, _‘This is going to be a long ride.’_

____


	2. Mortal reminder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my story about Elise and her own summoner OC, Jane. Inspired by SylverStorms, I now finally had the courage to actually put my own story up for everyone to read online. Shoutout to her/him for allowing me to use her/his universe as a base setting for the story, and for also allowing me to make cameos of her/his own characters. And thank you to them again for allowing me once more to bend their universe just a tiny bit and for adding additional things in the universe. And yes, this is a gay universe, and i like -no, love- it. I recommend you to read her stories, it is a must and i could not recommend it enough. Trust me you won't regret it.

_“Mommy, what if she doesn’t make it?” A childlike voice cried out to her mother, little hands clinging to shaky, but warm and comforting hands._

_“Don’t worry, your sister is strong. She’s going to make it, she WILL make it. She has to….or else..” The mother’s voice sounded so strong, like an anchor, from which all the people around them had clung to. She had to stay strong, put up a front for the people she leads and will continue to lead, during the time where they needed each other the most._

_Yet deep down inside, the mother in herself that she had casted aside for her people, had her heart shattered into millions of pieces the very moment her second child had come upon this world. She had asked -no, begged- their shaman to use all of his magic to sway the cruel threads of fate away from her newborn. But alas, he could not meet her gaze, unable to answer, and grimly shook his head instead._

_And amidst all the worry, doubt and tension that spread out amongst the many people huddled inside the room, there came bright, young, untainted innocent eyes, that wandered with curiosity at them all. Shifting here and there, and to wherever it might lead, they had all turned to her, their sole heiress, their only beacon of hope left, their future._

\--------------------------

Jane blinked her eyes groggily, rubbing them tenderly before fully adjusting to the light of the afternoon sun. They had arrived at the mansion earlier than expected, even after all the shenanigans that Elise had pulled off in the car. But she couldn’t blame the poor institute staff for wanting to drop them off in their mansion as fast as he could though. Spiders suddenly appearing out of nowhere and crawling all over your arms and legs isn’t the best sensation out there. And it didn’t help any better when Elise had summoned deadly black widows, known to really mess someone up with a single bite.

After much convincing from her, Elise had finally stopped, but the damage has already been done. Kent, their driver, shook uncontrollably in his seat, and his voice wavered while telling them they’d be arriving at the mansion in less than five minutes, making an excuse that there was no traffic and that he can speed up the car since there were also no enforcers around.

That made the mage chuckle. Who would have thought the big badass seductive spider queen could do such a thing as a prank, and still continues doing so just to get kicks out of it. To her, it's still so new, so raw, so unlike her. Jane smiled softly to herself as she settled back on the soft grass, looking up into the fast moving clouds above. The wind blew against the grass blades, humming along with the trees that surrounded the mansion in and of itself, making a cacophony of sounds that she dearly loved and missed, as it resembled her old home, the Forest of the White Witch. The name was given to the place by her mother, and made official under her name as she was a very powerful noxian, widely known and respected across Noxus. Jane was lucky that the title was passed on to her, or else the forest would be nothing but piles of ash by now. Noxus isn’t known to let go of potential resources after all.

Now, that forest held extreme importance in Jane’s heart. Aside from it being the place where she was born and raised, the forest itself was so magical that noxians would often go there to poach local fauna, gather whatever medicinal herbs they can get, and also -she remembered- a place where you can assassinate anyone without knowing who really did it. And Noxus was a nation where word of someone getting assassinated goes out fast, especially if the victim was a noble, as they value aristocracy more than their own valued treasure. Although Noxus claims they rule under meritocracy, Jane knew that underneath it all aristocracy still flows through the country’s veins.

Jane cleared her head and looked up at the tree above her instead. And then again, she wondered, what if they were all still alive to see her up in the Pit, fighting for the spot that would take her here, in the League of Legends, without Elise’s aid. Her mother would be beyond furious, the people that swore loyalty under their name would no doubt get mad at her for coming to the capital of Noxus in the first place. And her father, oh gods, her father…..

He would probably call upon his dead ancestors and wage war on Noxus just to get her back, and then give her a very, very stern lecture afterwards, and possibly ground her into not going out of their house forever.

She missed them all, her sadness gnawing at her gut and demanded that she feel guilty of what was done. She felt some wetness trail down her cheeks. Looking up, she wondered where they came from as the sky was still crisp and clear. Then her eyes blurred and stung a bit.

_‘Oh, i’m crying...again.’_ she placed a finger and traced where the wetness came from, and it indeed came from her eyes. She supposed she could let this one slide, it was her family and her own tribe after all, so missing them is okay. Her mother had taught her how to be strong and independent, to be proud of whatever she does as long as it is moral, and the most important of all, to _lead._

“This is useless. I won’t get anywhere with this if i don’t do something.” she wasn’t used to feeling so vulnerable and so...weak. She wanted to get rid of that feeling. Getting up, she dusted herself before taking off her shoes. Being barefoot and feeling the grass underneath your feet is the best feeling especially if you’re feeling down, and maybe even lonely. She recalled one of the more elderly people in their tribe had taught her that if she ever felt down and not in a good mood, the best way to lighten up is to run across the entirety of the forest. 

_“Run! Run like a mad Elnuk child! Nothing but the best feeling in the world, accompanied by the wind! GAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”_ Some of the children would even race with one another until they were gasping and rolling around in the grass, their legs so numb, yet their faces full of joy. Then their mothers would reprimand them for how dirty they are when they came back home, and their fathers would be proud and show their children off to the other fathers of the tribe, as they all gathered around the fire outside of their houses, telling tales of their hunt to their children.

_“Run like the wind Jane! Run like you’ve never before!”_ And so, Jane ran. As she dashed off to the deeper parts of the forest, laughters echoed behind her, as if they were there looking at her as if she were a silly Elnuk that had got its fur shaved off to the side, kicking and screaming incoherent noises as they all laughed at the one who shaved it for being so careless.

It was exhilarating, to say the least. Jane had abandoned her coat and ran as fast as she could, with no clear destination in mind. Her feet had hit small rocks and pebbles, but she paid it no mind. Everything in her peripheral vision was a blur, and yet, she could see every little detail the forest had offered her. The trees sang along as the wind picked up, refreshing her and urging her to run more. 

The deeper she went the more colder and darker it became, and Jane was ecstatic about it. Her forest had the same temperature and climate, only hers was more mystical, covered by a thin blanket of fog, and only their tribe can tread through it without getting lost. 

Jane weaved in and out of the underbrush, the grass beneath her feet had been long gone, replaced by soft soil. Her arms were out swatting small branches, although she could feel the backlash it gave and was sure she had some minor cuts on her arms already. The air had become more cold and crisp as Jane noticed fog rolling through her feet. A thing she was familiar with and held no resistance against it. Jumping over big boulders and ducking over massive roots, she chanced a glance above her and she could only see the tiniest bits of light fall through the canopy.

There weren’t that many animals around the area, which surprised Jane, as the sheer amount of vegetation available would surely attract anything that were herbivorous. Though there are some critters here and there, the only abundant creatures that caught her attention were the rolly pollies, or the large isopods that would curl up when threatened. Just the sheer size and presence meant that there were only a small community of insectivores living in the forest. 

After much running, probably around 30 minutes, Jane couldn’t remember, she arrived in what looks to be the heart of the forest. The trees broke out in a circular manner that allowed the light to come in and illuminate the surroundings. Jane realized she stumbled upon a very large cove, with a small lake down below. The roots of the nearby trees latched on to the walls of the cove and acted like giant vines to support their massive bodies. The fog retreated to the darker parts of the forest, refusing to touch the warmth of the light at the center.

Walking towards the edge of a small cliff the cove had created, Jane sat down and admired the view from the top. There was a small patch of land at the center of the lake, colored by grasses that blanketed it like a carpet. In the middle of the small island, there were flowers that bloomed in the middle. Their white color entranced Jane as they faced the sun, their stalks stretching out fully and their beautiful petals opening as wide as they could go.

The waters were just as captivating to her eyes. It was crystal clear, reflecting the rays of the sun back at it, Jane could actually see its bottom. The surface of the water was calm and serene, until the wind picked up and made gentle ripples on it. No words formed on Jane’s mind as she could not stop looking at the calm and peace inducing sight. She hoped no one else had been here to see such beauty, or hoped that those flowers wouldn’t contain anything that would be the reason for it to be hunted down and plucked. Her heart rate had steadied, and she totally forgot why she was there in the first place. The flowers swayed gently along, without a care in the world. A mortal reminder of the responsibility placed upon her shoulders when she was still an ignorant child. 

Jane stood up and admired the landscape for a bit longer, before turning away and returning back to the foggy forest, to home.

\---------------------------

High heels clacked against the marbled tiles of the manor. Elise had made sure that all of their belongings that were important had made it here, safe and sound. Currently she was walking towards her work office, and spared a glance at a large window, and noted that evening rapidly approached them. Although speaking of which, as she continued to the second floor, she wondered where her beloved summoner had gone off to. 

“Must be off running again.” She told herself, as she saw Jane’s shoes and coat laying on the grass earlier, making her shake her head at her behavior. Her mind now occupied with thoughts of no one else but her, Elise wondered how she never actually knew of the girl’s background. They both silently agreed to open up to one another when they had their first mental bond, a bond different to the one the league uses. Everything was out for them both to see, their past, what kind of people they actually are, and what they might have done to get themselves in the predicament they were in. But none of them really took the initiative to explore the other’s mind deep enough to get to that point. It just seemed so meaningless at the time.

So then why did she help her in the first place? Why not decide her fate like the man that she had consumed that day?

_Because she has something in her….something that made her different._

It was beyond annoying that her instincts had practically screamed at her not to harm the girl when she ran after her in that forest. Does Jane have some sort of spell that warded off any harm that came to her? What was it that compelled her to decide upon such a thing? Obviously the first thing she would do was to erase any witnesses whenever she fed. And she was also not the type of person to leave someone alive to tell the tale of the spider queen emerging from her crypt once more.

She subconsciously reached for the handle of her office. Twisting the gold colored knob she allowed herself inside. All that greeted her was an elegant room. Walls painted in an elaborate fashion of red, the things that greeted her was an elaborately well carved table made out of petricite wood, colored raven black, a tall chair that had similar origins in terms of the material it was made out of, only it was designed straight out of the victorian era.

There was also a couch facing the table, made out of the best downed feathers from newborn high silvermeres from demacia, completed by the most high quality soft leather there is in Noxus. Although she wouldn’t tell Jane what they were made out of, lest she never hear the end of it from her. She briefly took off her heels and stretched her well manicured feet. Taking her coat off and throwing it on the couch, she walked all the way to her table, loving the feeling of carpet beneath her toes. The light from outside had become nonexistent as the wind howled furiously, begging itself to be let in.

As Elise approached the table, she felt an unimaginable feeling of guilt, loss and anger. Her senses told her something wasn’t right, and that she should turn the opposite direction and never come back. Yet after a century of controlling and not giving in to mere instincts, she pushed it aside and opened the drawer.

Inside lay a dagger, its blade gleaming even against the dark. Elise’s senses went haywire the moment she gazed at it, a feeling she hadn’t felt in _years_. She admired its deadly beauty and charm, whoever gets a hold of it would probably sell it for a high amount of gold and live with it for the rest of their lives. But no, this thing, this dagger, was worth more than that. The dagger she held in her hands, was an artifact. Taken from the Isles, herself.

The blade was purely white in color, the edges serrated downwards, so that whoever gets stabbed by it would suffer much more if the blade were to be taken out of the body. The guard was an elaborate metal in the shape of a snake, dyed in a dark green fashion. The grip was colored gold, with three gems embedded in it. One was ruby, the second, sapphire, and the last, a shimmering emerald.

Elise trailed a finger to each one and felt the coolness between them. Yet two of the gems, ruby and sapphire, were dull, almost lifeless. Like a counterfeit gem sold by filthy merchants who wanted quick and easy money. Her eyes were drawn to the only one ‘alive’ left, emerald, who shone like the true gem that it was. As she touched it, a crippling sensation invaded her mind and gave her a mental image.

_Laughter._

_Fondness._

_Sex._

_Seduction._

_A fire._

_“Smile for me please.”_

_Is it time to say goodbye?_

_She lay there inside the fire, knelt on the ground, hands covered in blood. She would’ve had on a sinister smile if it was any other kill, and yet….in this one, she was beyond horrified._

_Ah, yes...i remember now.  
Yet do I really?_


	3. In tardiness and preparation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is supposed to be a very long chapter that covers Elise's debut and Jane's registration and maybe even a bit of their "date". i decided to just move them for the next chapter so that the long-ness of this chapter won't bore you guys.

When Jane came back from her small excursion and excitedly told everything that she found to the Spider queen, she had also found out how exhausted she actually was. The adrenaline that wore off afterwards left her slumped at the entrance of the mansion, her legs refusing to listen to the demands her mind made before completely passing out. A sigh left Elise’s mouth before she heaved her childish summoner in her arms and basically dragged her up towards the room they shared, as she declared so herself. It came as a surprise to her that the mage in her arms had actually managed an impressive feat of slaying a hundred gladiators at the Pit in Noxus, and yet still retained this childish and carefree demeanor. Jane could’ve fooled anyone, even her. That being said, since she was the one who picked out the place precisely just for Jane, she shouldn’t be surprised if such a thing like this would happen more often. 

Carefully shifting the limp girl’s body in her one arm, Elise opened the door to the master bedroom with her other and shuffled inside. The amount of things that Jane brought to the table had surprised Elise to no end, she should ask in the morning how she could eat like a certain demon she knew of and still be hungry for more. 

Gently placing Jane on their massive king sized bed, Elise had thrown the covers over her summoner and was ready to head for the door when she heard her name being mumbled. “Come onnnnnn…...play with me a bit longer, Eli….zzzz” the nickname she gave would’ve more than offended the woman, but her eyes rolled instead. For whatever reason, she liked it when she first heard it. She stayed for a few more seconds, staring at Jane who began to tumble around in the sheets. She had a somewhat goofy smile on her face, one Elise wished would stay like that for eternity. Elise pondered if she should just turn in for the night, or rather not, as she could smell the faintest scent of sweat that coated Jane’s entire body that formed after her earlier adventure.

She was never one for deciding between two things in the spot, as she was used to careful planning long ahead. But this one, this one had her almost frustrated. Giving up with a sigh she had lost count for today, she elegantly planted her feet on the mattress and slid under the covers as well, quickly snuggled up by Jane, who wrapped her arms all over Elise’s entirety and settled comfortably at the base of Elise’s neck. Ruby eyes staring up at the ceiling in defeat, Elise sighed again, “I may have just ran across another drawback to this relationship.”

\---------------------------------------------

The brightness from the windows signaled that the time for Jane has come. To wake up, of course. Fluttering her emerald eyes open, she was greeted by the sight that made her feel like she’s the luckiest girl in the world. Her grogginess was washed away as Elise’s sleeping form greeted her. She was facing her, and though her makeup was gone, and her raven hair unkempt, she was still gorgeous and the very definition of beautiful. Her flawless skin was reflected from the sunlight outside, making it seem as though she was glowing, a thing that was a near possibility, in a sense. Jane’s eyes zeroed in on her long lashes and the smoothness of her face, appreciating everything in it. Jane held a soft smile on her own, admiring her peacefully and silently. But as if her ancestors had intervened, that small fleeting moment had soon come to an end. Ruby orbs opened and blinked wearily and sleepily, before focusing on Jane’s own.  


It took a moment of silence as they both stared at one another, when the cloud of confusion cleared away, and a small smirk made its way to Elise’s red lips. “Good morning, hun.” she greeted and gently bopped Jane’s nose with a finger. A whiny noise made its way to the younger mage’s throat at the sudden action. “Ow. Good morning to you too. I feel so refreshed after that run. I’m going to do that again next time.” Sitting up with a stretch, Jane glanced around just to find herself that they were in Elise’s bedroom. “Huh, so you were serious when you said this is going to be my room?”

Elise sat up as well, running a hand through her hair in a very ladylike manner. Jane noticed she wore a deep red robe. Looking down on her own clothes, Jane was disappointed to find out she was still stuck from yesterday’s clothing, which she could already smell the sweat in it. “You may as well share the space with me. And please get up and wash already, I don’t want the bed to reek of sweat. Unless of course…” Jane could tell that Elise had purposely ended her sentence in a suggestive manner, seeing as she eyed her with that look she always gives when she wanted something. A blush crept up Jane’s cheeks as she averted her eyes somewhere else other than the older woman’s heated gaze. She still wasn’t used to such talks, even if it wasn’t her first time hearing and experiencing it. 

Instead, her eyes landed on the two phones that rested on the nightstand. The silver one was hers, the other, a black one, belonged to the champion. Reaching over to get hers and handing the other one to Elise, she checked for whatever updates there are about the league, until her eyes widened at the time, but more so, the date. Jane froze, swore in her mind to all of her ancestors out in the heavens, that her heart just stopped beating for a fraction of a second.

_1:30 pm, October 26, 2020_

Her voice got stuck in her throat as she quickly turned around to face Elise, who was just in the process of opening her own phone, but stopped at Jane’s action, and raised a questioning eyebrow instead. “W-when and what time is your debut again, Elise?” The way her voice wavered and turned panicky confused Elise. “October 26, 2020, at about 4 in the afternoon. And for my sake please tone down your voice, it’s hurting my ears.” Jane was gulping down air in her throat as she practically shoved her phone dangerously close to Elise’s face. For a moment there was nothing special to see, aside from a picture of them both as her wallpaper, which Elise noted as cute and adorable. Casting a questioning glance at Jane only made the mage more panicked as she practically jabbed a finger at the date and time displayed on her phone’s lock screen. Elise read the time as 1:35, and the date….

Elise’s heart lurched through the roof as her eyes visibly widened, which was so uncharacteristic of her. She never thought this was one of the many events that spurred her into quick action rather than fighting and hunting down her next meal. “Elise, waaiiiittttttttttttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!” throwing the covers off of both of them, Jane hadn’t been spared a second glance before she felt Elise’s hands on the back of her clothes and was quickly yanked forward and out of their bed. Not allowing another precious second to pass Elise jumped off and sprinted her way to the room’s personal bathroom, Jane’s weight becoming nonexistent as she carelessly ripped her robe off and hurriedly turned on the shower. 

In her haste she forgot she was holding Jane and unceremoniously dumped her off the floor flat, earning a yelp from her. “You’ve got to be kidding me. We slept in for a day and a half?!” Jane instantly got up as she was used to Elise’s strength and antics, discarding her own clothes and joined the spider queen in the shower. “I wished this to be a different situation, love, but for now I will relent.” Elise made a quick kiss on the side of Jane’s lips before completely losing herself in the shower again. “”I will relent” my ass! Pass me whatever’s the shampoo please!” 

Jane scrubbed her body viciously with some soap she got (that smelled a lot like Elise, thank the heavens) and almost got hit in the head when a flying bottle of shampoo invaded her vision. With smooth movement Jane caught the bottle easily and slabbed her hand full of shampoo with reckless abandon before throwing the bottle out of the way. As hilarious as the situation seemed to be, they can’t afford to be late for the welcoming ceremony, especially Elise, since not only will thousands of people attend just for her, but today is also the last day for registering to become an official summoner. 

After drying themselves out of the shower, Elise had fortunately readied the choice of clothing she is to wear for the occasion. An elegant dress with a red and black design, heavily accentuated by Noxian culture. Elegant, noble; proud just by itself. If Elise were to wear it, then the definition would have changed to beauty akin to a goddess. She quickly wore it and headed for the vanity, pulling out various make up kits in the drawer underneath it. Jane had to thank the other woman again for having her clothes already in the closet. Throwing on a pair of dark jeans that still allowed for movement, as well as a red blouse with a black hoodie vest on top of it. Below the racks of clothes she noticed a row of shoes and stilettos and high heels, all of which were Elise’s and only two pairs belonging to her. 

Jane casted a quick glance at what the noblewoman was wearing and picked out a stunning black 7 inch stilettos with ankle straps, before picking out her own heavy combat boots. “7 inch stilettos with ankle straps, sound good?” Elise shot the dangling heels in Jane’s hand a look from the reflection of the vanity, humming in approval before returning to fixing herself up in front of the mirror again. Jane sat at the edge of the bed, putting on her boots before her mind wandered to the things they would bring to the ceremony and the registry.

_‘Small purse for her, small backpack for me. Lipstick, foundation, dainty mirror...gods, just how can she carry all of these things?! Wait… my letter...it should be in my bag, yes. Maybe a small fan when she might unexpectedly wait? Nah, they shouldn’t treat her like that lest they anger her at the very least…’_ As Jane thought of what to bring, her body instinctively went for the things she listed off in her head. _‘And how do i even know these things?! I rarely even use mascara! Oh fudge, tissues as well…’_ She rummaged around the closet again in search of a purse that matched Elise’s formal dress, and found a very expensive looking one that screamed ‘please, steal me’ in all its glory. The straps are gold colored while the purse itself had patterns of red and black. Really now, noxians really love their red and black, or was it just Elise, or maybe it was just herself. She grabbed her own small backpack whose color was in contrast to Elise’s purse, a navy blue bag with a checkered pattern of dark orchid.

Going over to the vanity where Elise was still busy doing her thing, Jane mumbled an excuse as she began to pick out the things that would go inside the purse. Silently gazing at her from the reflection on the mirror, Elise carefully placed dark red lipstick on her already seductive lips. “You really know what i want, dear. Just a few of your many charms.” Accompanied by a flirtatious laugh, she succeeded in making the soon to be summoner flush red.

“Just go back to doing your thing already. Though I’m really doubting that dress is sturdy enough to not make holes when we make our run in the forest. I’m not expecting our little guide to come back after what you did to him.” Both of them couldn’t help but chuckle at the poor institute staff. “Then that answers my question of you running around more frequently.” 

Grabbing both of their phones and placing them in their respective bags, Jane was just checking on her recommendation letter when they heard a loud knock on their door. Glancing at one another, she placed the letter carefully back in her backpack and headed downstairs. “Don’t take too long or we’ll leave you behind.” She reminded Elise in a scolding manner. The spider queen merely rolled her eyes and huffed, before resuming in applying mascara on her eyelashes. 

Jane was surprised Kent came back at all. Tearing down through the stairs, Jane opened the door and was met with a surprised and nervous looking Kent. “Hey! Umm, sorry about what happened in the car the other day. She’s just bored, you know.” Agreeing that who she was referring to, Kent just smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck to calm his nerves. “It’s okay. I’ve heard more unfortunate things happening to my co-workers when they were picking up new champions. I just wasn’t expecting it at all.” She could easily see the nervousness rolling off of him in waves, which could easily discern his location if a hungry wandering animal happened upon his scent. 

“Would it be okay if I drive this time? You know, to lessen any accidents that might happen down the road. You could just tell me the directions. We’re in a hurry because we slept in for a day and a half, and I like to think of it as my fault.” she headed for the car parked at their front once she heard the clicking of heels descending down the stairs. “H-huh? W-wait! Do you have a license? If my employer finds out then…” he turned around to chase after Jane when a sudden chill ran up his spine as soft hands clasped around his shoulders, a weight pressing on to him like an indescribable pressure. “Then we won’t let them know, love.” 

Her voice was like sweet ecstasy in his ears. He visibly stiffened as Elise got a hold of him, her grip surprisingly strong, rendering him helpless under her. A small seductive laugh echoed and danced in his mind, her hot breath suddenly making him blush feverishly. And suddenly, he was released. He took a deep breath he didn’t know he held and sucked in large amounts of oxygen his body craved immediately. Among the many tales he had heard from the more experienced staff handling champion transportation, the one rule that stuck in his mind was to not let any of them get a hold of him, human, demacian, noxian or whatever champion they might be. It is much better to be a certain distance away from them while conversing, and today he could’ve had his life sucked out of him just because of his carelessness.

“What on earth are you standing there for? We’re going to be late.” He shook his thoughts and ran to the front passenger seat of the car when he realized he was the only one left outside the sun.

It wasn’t until his rear had hit the soft cushion of the seat when Jane literally stomped her boot on the gas, lurching everyone forward and into a nauseating start. 

“OH GODS, OH GODS! THE DOOR! THE DOOOOOOOOOORRRR!” Kent screamed at the top of his lungs as they suddenly swerved to a right, and tried to close the wide opened door while holding on to the safety belt he hurriedly placed on himself. He was so busy clinging on to his poor life that he hadn’t even heard the two women laughing at his demise. 

Jane drove dangerously fast, easily speeding over 80 kilometers as they finally broke out of the forest and into the highway, not really knowing where to go. Looking at the looming grand arena ahead of them she assumed that’s where they were going and sped even faster, the traffic becoming a blur beside them. 

“Can you please slow down?!” She was still laughing, Kent tried again. “Do you even know where you’re going?!” The thrill in her veins had slowly begun to die down, but her foot was still plastered firmly on the gas pedal. She caught Elise in the rear view mirror recovering from her laughter as well, before she was given an eye roll and smirk when she got caught staring. “Well, yes, we’re going to the arena, are we not? I assumed the largest building was that and sped on it.” Kent sighed and fixed himself in his seat.

“Well, yes, you aren’t wrong about that, but you could’ve gotten us all killed! At least give me the pleasure to tour you around.” He grumbled as he ruffled his already messed up hair before putting his cap back on. “Right, right. Sorry. We can tour the area ourselves, gives us a sense of thrill and excitement when we go to new places we haven’t known yet, yes?” The expression he gave in reply only made Jane laugh more as Kent felt he never deserved a more rewarding sleep than now. The weird energy the duo exuded drained him down until he was feeling nothing. Just like a husk.

\-------------------------------

Jane’s awe for the grand arena increased tenfold as they saw hundreds upon hundreds of cars parked in the allotted space just outside the building itself. All of them could tell it was packed, and considering that it was still only 2:30 in the afternoon it was a pleasant surprise to Elise that that many people came to see her.

“Don’t go that road, the arena has a backdoor entrance that we use for the new champions so they don’t get mobbed by the summoners. It’s actually convenient for you too, Jane. The registration is up the right wing of the arena. I recommend you to do it quickly if you want to catch them before the cutoff.” Kent instructed her to turn a right instead, pulling up into the far back of the arena. Outside the big metal doors were many agents of the institute, guarding the entrance. Unbuckling his seatbelt Kent ran out of the car and opened Elise’s door, while Jane put the car on brake and got out as well. 

The afternoon sun was as bright and hot as it could be, and it reflected Elise’s gorgeousness well that even the institute agents were smitten by her looks. Though some did raise their eyebrows when a girl got out from the driver’s seat instead. “Come inside, quick. It’s much colder in there.” Elise thanked Jane when she handed her her purse, the younger girl replying with a wink. There was still more work to be done, she knew she would be guided by the staff in what to do and what to expect, so she just went with the flow coolly. 

The agents opened the double, allowing a gush of cold wind to welcome them. Now that the bothering hotness was replaced with cold, Jane could easily hear the thousands upon thousands of people and their shuffling of seats from above them. She guessed that the seats of the arena were above them and the teleportation circles that would lead to the Field’s of Justice should be in the middle and in their level.

To say she was excited enough would be an understatement. 

Elise noticed the mage’s sudden energy spike by the bond that they had shared. Before it could burst, she placed a calming hand on her shoulder to prevent her from running off to who knows where again, and miss her sign up.

_‘Calm down Jane, they are only people. They don’t mean a thing to us.’_ She whispered in their mindlink. The calming effect her voice held immediately took effect, as her energy returned to their normal levels. _‘I know. But, just thinking that many people watching my future battles made me remember the Pit in Noxus. It’s exciting me….’_ Jane responded with a whine, causing Elise to chuckle lowly to herself. _‘Such a really peculiar girl you are. Shouldn’t you be thinking of the sign up process first before heading straight to the fray? You might not get the chance again.’_

As they conversed, they were led by Kent and the other agents door after door, taking left and right turns until Jane forgot where they were. Another door approached the, this time with a sign that said “Personnel and Champions only”. Ah, I guess this is where they would part for now. Jane turned to Elise. 

“I’ll be fine on my own, i swear.” she started before the older woman could say anything. Elise rose a perfect brow and smirked at her. “I know, which is why i’m going to tell people to be careful of _you_.” Jane pouted at that. She would have hugged her if they weren’t in public, but alas, all she could do was smile at her. “Shouldn’t I be the one telling that? Miss danger disguised as sex with two legs.” A cough sounded behind them, yet Elise paid them no mind as she stepped up the teasing game. 

Moving closer to Jane, Elise reached up to her full height and overshadowed the young mage. With a hand on her hip and a sly smile gracing her lips, she whispered something that always works against Jane. “And you’re the one following Miss Danger around, like a lost little puppy, begging for sex.” Jane widened her eyes as her face turned fifty shades of red in a matter of seconds. Snickers and snorts erupted behind them both, earning Elise a glare. 

Opening her mouth to retort, Kent unexpectedly swooped between them. “Girls, please! It’s already 3 in the afternoon. Miss Elise still needs to be oriented on what to do, so if you’ll please continue this somewhere more...private, later on.”

Elise plastered on her victory smirk as she turned around and headed for the door, leaving Jane a bit irritated and defeated. She then felt the ghostly touch of Elise’s presence coming in their shared space within her mind. _‘Don’t worry darling, you’ll get your chance tonight, maybe with a bit of champagne while in bed?’_ Followed by a seductive laugh. Knowing that only both of them were in that space, and therefore only they can hear what was being said, Jane allowed Elise to hear her dark thoughts. _‘Then expect me to take you out for ‘dinner’ tonight. Would that set the mood?’_ She knew Elise wouldn’t resist her offer of a night out. She could practically hear her hiss out when she’s in the middle of deciding over something. She would hiss when something better was offered at her table when she already has something good cooked up. That’s just her. 

A few moments passed...then a sigh of defeat. _‘Fine…’_ Elise drawled out. _‘I will take your offer, but only if you managed to attend the ceremony.’_ Jane turned around as soon as the double doors closed, heading back the way they came in earlier. _‘Why do you think i won’t get there in time? I’m only going to the far side of the arena you know.’_ A pause, then a snicker came as she thought about Elise actually missing her just as she left. _‘Aw, big baddie spider queen misses me already? I’m so touched.’_ she added some extra dramatic flare as an added effect. A scoff echoed at the back of her mind, and she could easily tell Elise was rolling her eyes in the moment. 

_‘Don’t try me. You know i bite.’_ All Jane replied was a chorus of laughter just to annoy the hell out of the champion even further.


	4. D is for Debut and D is for Disaster

Getting to the registration area wasn’t as difficult as Jane thought it would be. She had to navigate through the front of the arena, and was shocked that people were still lining up to get inside the main arena itself. She was sure she was so sure of herself earlier that the convention itself was already packed to the brim with people. Luckily there were agents and officers to organize them so it wasn’t really messy, and they allowed her to pass through without a problem.   
  
  
  
  
“I’m here to register myself as a summoner, please.” She said as she approached the reception desk. A kind lady sat on the other end and smiled at her. “I take it you’re new here I presume? Don’t worry the process only takes a second, I just need your letter of recommendation.” Fiddling with her backpack for a moment Jane carefully took out her letter and gave it to the receptionist. “Oh? You were recommended by the Champion Evelynn? You must have some talent, she’s picky with who she sponsors. In fact, I don't even think she’s sponsored anyone else before. You’re quite lucky.” Jane smiled shyly at the little compliment she was given, although it did spark her interest as to how Elise managed to convince the Diva to get her recommended in the first place.   
  
  
  
  
“I’d like to think of it as a favor, miss. But I want to thank her in return and do my best in the League...Do you know where i can find her though?” The lady stopped to think for a moment. Then she took out a pamphlet and gave it to Jane. “Here’s a map of Valoran for you to explore, miss Jane. That pamphlet also has a guide on the basics of being a summoner. Miss Evelynn isn’t known to let people know where she goes, but I might give you an idea of where to look for.” She leaned a bit over the counter and whispered to Jane, “Look for her favorite Summoner, that’ll take you to her.” She winked at a surprised Jane before settling back on her chair.    
  
  
  


  
_ ‘Her favorite summoner? Won’t that be Avarice? But she’s Challenger! How on earth are we supposed to meet when I'm at the very bottom of the chain?’  _ She’d seen the high ranking summoner on tv many times when the league aired one of their matches against Helena and Lissandra. That match inspired her to keep on reaching for the top when she almost gave up the fight in the Pit. Thinking about meeting Avarice was enough to send little chills down her spine. She didn’t think it would be possible at all.    
  
  
  
  
She didn’t realize she was thinking deeply until a card was pushed onto the counter in front of her. It had her picture in it and a blank spot next to it, and another blank spot on the bottom. “Please sign your signature at the bottom, and the summoner name of your choice. I’ll take it back to put it in the system and done! “ Jane nodded as she signed on the bottom, but paused to think of a name that she would be called on a daily basis. She opted to ask Elise through their link, but she couldn’t feel her presence and assumed that she must be too busy to be bothered. She wrote the name she got called instead when she was a kid and politely gave the card back to the lady.   
  
  
  


  
She then typed in something in her computer before placing the card in a durable case and stamping it with a seal and gave it back to Jane. “There you go. You’re now an official summoner in the League of Legends. The climb to Challenger is going to be rough, but it's going to be worth it. Although Master and Grandmaster are the starting point of eligibility for the World Championships, if you’re Challenger many champions as well as other summoners would like to add you to their list. But you should also watch out for the other summoners that are toxic as well as the gatekeepers.” She leaned in again and looked around for any potential eavesdroppers, “Just don’t let anyone know you’re in your promotions, lest they keep you from going up your rank.”    
  
  
  
  
Jane didn’t know much about the gatekeepers but she stored the information away for future use. Waving goodbye to the receptionist, she was about to head to Elise’s ceremony when thunderous cheering from the crowds in the arena threatened to destroy her ears. It seems whoever built the place itself did not account for soundproofing the whole place down. The time on her phone had read as 6:00 pm. No wonder why. Elise must’ve been at the stage already. 

Jane took off in a jog. Elise did say as long as she caught her before the ceremony had finished, she could take the spider queen to dinner. It’s on her so she’s expecting Jane to keep her word. That, and they hadn’t had any food for like, a day and a half, so they were both starving.   
  
  
  
  
People were like trees, and the tiled floors were like the ground of the forest, only no pebbles, no mud, and incredibly slippery. Jane weaved in and out of the crowd, their bodies not hindering her from reaching the huge decorated doors of the grand arena. Brushing past people who were either entering or exiting the arena’s huge doors, she saw from a distance the intense lights from the ceiling. She donned her hood, wary of the people that might have recognized her from Noxus. A girl at the age of 19 plowing and ripping apart a hundred veteran gladiators isn’t something they’d forget in a day. Even she could not comprehend what she had done, even until now.   
  


  
  


As she jogged to the center, bright lights greeted her vision, blinding her temporarily. The crowd's cheers sounded like the roar of a winged white tiger she had heard of in tales that the men in their tribe would tell them in their Nightfires. Rubbing her eyes to adjust them quickly Jane looked around wildly and was awed by what she saw.   
  
  
  
  
A sea of people. That’s for sure. Dozens and dozens that it’d be hard to find a needle amongst them all. She’d never seen so many in one place all at once. Not even the people that watched her get kills or get killed had amounted to this. But maybe it was because no important noxian like the Grand General was there to watch her, or the Executioner, Draven, himself. Bodies crashed against one another trying to find a suitable view to see the goddess-like beauty that was being introduced on stage. Elise had gotten everyone’s attention with the attitude and confidence she had exuded. Jane even heard one summoner tell his companion about how blessed they were with another champion like Evelynn taking off to the rift. That bit disturbed her and continued on looking to get a better vantage point so that Elise could see where she was.   
  
  
  
  
She couldn’t hear what the agents were asking Elise even with their mics on, reverberating around the whole of the arena. It was just so crowded at the bottom that all she could hear were the stomping of their shoes against the floor. Fortunately, she found the stairs that would lead her to the higher floors and scrambled to it, careful not to trample others and get trampled herself. She swiftly climbed at the top of the viewing section, breathing in cold air that came from the heavy duty air conditioners that were luckily beside her.    
  
  
  
  
Now that she can see properly, she noticed big screens were on top of the stage Elise is in. the cameras were focused on her and her face, exuding that smirk and proud smile she always wore in public. Jane also noticed the people below her, confirming that it was like an ocean down the first floor. The viewing platform she was in was also a good spot that overviewed the other high platforms. VIP boxes were up higher than where she currently is, probably for the champions that wished to see the newcomer.    
  
  
Jane gulped. She wasn’t ready to meet any noxian champions just yet.   
  
  
  
She could hear the host much clearer now, and it appeared that they just finished their Q&A portion, which meant that all that’s left was her warm welcome to the world of League of Legends.    
  
  
  
_ ‘Hey, i’m here. Second floor top left, near the air conditioners. Nice dress by the way.’  _ She opened up their shared link and felt for Elise’s presence. She watched the Spider queen subtly scanning her eyes from the waves of people, before going upwards to where she could see Jane waving shyly, her hood up and her hair hidden away. Even if she was so far away and with what she stood out with well hidde, Elise could still pinpoint it as her. Both of them had developed an ability to easily pinpoint the other’s location subtly, like a tug in a certain direction. That’s what she was feeling right now.   
  
  
  
  
From the big screen, Elise had given her a sly smile she was known for. Jane became a bit worried.  _ ‘What is that for? Why do i feel like i’m missing something out?’  _ There were times where she is unpredictable herself. Looks like a part of her personality had rubbed off of Elise as well. A few seconds of silence had passed, before a tired sigh echoed in their space.  _ ‘I want to eat already. Have you already found a target? Male or female? Age group? Should i send my sentries?’  _ Jane was flabbergasted at the way her voice almost has a whine at the edge. She probably had too much to take in when she got oriented earlier, and an empty stomach didn’t help her annoyance at all.   
  
  
  
  
_ ‘This is your fault. If you hadn't dragged me to bed I wouldn't have had an earful of whatever shit they had thrown at me earlier.’  _ Now she’s just outright complaining like your average highschool girl. Jane did feel like it was her fault for doing so, but she was already fast asleep when she did it. That’s why she was against sharing their bed in the first place.  _ ‘Why on earth would you send your sentries out? And for the record i thought no females...at least the ones that are innocent and such. And I told you i’m against sharing beds and then you blame me.’  _ She felt an eye roll sent in her direction despite the fact that Elise was now staring at another direction, sending some waves towards the people cheering and calling out to her.    
  
  


  
  


_ ‘Just a few more minutes till seven, and then they’ll wrap this up, right? Do you even have the strength to run around?’  _ she could sense the definitive no a mile away, Elise may be like a superhuman but she isn’t a madwoman like Jane.  _ ‘Who do you think you’re talking to? I can hunt myself, but since you said you’d be taking me out, i can’t say no to that now can i? ‘  _ Jane was close to reminding her about her indecision earlier, but instead settled for a deflated sigh. Sometimes Elise can be a bitch, but that’s because she is. And she’s learned to live with it.  _ ‘Fine. I’ll pick you up at the back.’ _ _  
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_ Feeling the connection cut slowly, Jane settled on leaning against the railing and stared out at the people below her. Her mind began wondering if more people would attend if the world championships came. There would probably be millions of them, shouting and cheering names that the whole arena would become deaf by it. She began to imagine herself in that stage, taking her champion with her and struggling with her teammates to achieve victory. Then, as they walked down the aisle with their defeated enemies beside them, they walked toward the path of the World Cup. Every summoner dreamed of getting their hands on, one that would grant their wish for all of the hard work and sacrifice that they have made.    
  
  
  
  
The world around her slowly dimmed. The noise, the cheering, the laughter, the sounds. It had all been washed away by a single, nostalgic, painfully familiar tune. Jane’s eyes widened, her body frozen at the spot. The tune that she always hums when her older sister would come to her crying for something wrong she had done. The tune his father had taught her mother, and then to the both of them. It was a sweet, slow tune that would calm her nerves down whenever a strong storm passes by their forest, or whenever the Scarecrow comes by and steals the souls of those who traverse the dangerous roads that lead to Noxus at night.    
  
  
  
  
The hum grew louder, and she could feel the trembling in her bones when she heard a woman’s voice sung out to her. Her mind refused to succumb to the darkness that surrounded her vision, and yet she couldn’t swim to the surface as well. Something dragged her soul to the bottom, an anchor whose chains were tied around her feet. Yet instead of an anchor, she could feel multiple hands gripping at the bottom half of her body, refusing to let her go. Looking down at the abyss, Jane suddenly found it hard to breathe, as she saw many shadows of both men and women that she had murdered for the sake of her mission, people that will never see the light of tomorrow, ever again. The eerie green mist that shrouded them traveled between shadow after shadow until they merged into one big dense blanket of fog. Their faces contorted a shocked expression, their mouths forming O’s as they pulled her lower and lower to their level. She could hear their groans of anguish, violent whispers that told her she should’ve been the one in their place instead.    
  
  


  
  


  
_ ‘I see....they must be the people i had…’  _ The thought had died in her mind when rough hands slowly started climbing to her torso, eager to submerge her. Jane held on to the small light that appeared above her, along with her mother’s hum. Refusing to succumb to the darkness, she desperately reached for the light, even if it felt like her body was being torn into two. The murky gruff hands holding on to her tightly, refusing to let her go. Reaching with all her might, she tore off the darkness that slowly seeped in her heart, and swam towards the light.

  
  
  
  


The blinding light bathed Jane’s body and drove the darkness away. The light had momentarily made her lose her vision as she felt herself being lifted up and away from wherever that place was. When the light had died, and her vision came back, her eyes had immediately spilled out tears that she had thought she stored away all these years. Her ears were filled with the humming of not only her mother’s voice, but her sister, her father, as well as their whole tribe, singing, begging for her to come to them, to their side.   
  
  
  
  
Soft platinum blonde hair swayed with the breeze as a hand held out for her to take. Many figures in white were in front of her, some she could not tell who belonged to anymore. But the one thing that stood out, was the deep red dress her mother always used to wear. It was her favorite, and she was known around their small village as the “Woman in Red.” Her father gave her mother that nickname, and somehow the people there just decided to use it.    
  
  
  
  
Jane took a step towards them, no longer in control of her emotions, her mind wishing to just let it all end and be with them once and for all. She could be happier with wherever they are, presumably with the stars, and watch the world with them together. She would be punished for her actions, but at least she wouldn’t suffer with the burden she was given anymore.    
  
  
  
  
  
Lulled by the sense of false safety by her own doing, Jane had become unaware of what was happening in the outside world, and did not hear the worried voice of Elise in her mind.   
  
  
  
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Elise had been waiting in the lounge area for Jane for almost 30 minutes. She understood how the masses could have hindered her from arriving at exactly 7, but not to this extent. Jane was  _ never  _ one to be late. Ever since Jane found out that she hated tardiness, the girl had made up for it by preparing everything hours earlier, or leaving some place just to arrive on time. This had somehow irked Elise.  _ ‘Where is she?’  _ she had tried texting and calling her, but she hadn’t picked it up nor replied to her. The only way left to contact her was through their mind link. She was so tired, irritated, hungry and just wanted it done and over with.   
  
  
  
  
It was a strange feeling when she was the one initiating the link. Normally it was always Jane that did it, but overtime she got used to it and now it came with ease. She was ready to give her a stern scolding when not a minute when she found Jane’s presence in her mind, did she reel with the nausea that greeted her instead of the usual “Hey”. Elise felt sick, like she chewed up a man’s rotting corpse at the intense offending feeling. Her anger was washed away completely and was replaced by worry. She tried to search for her in their shared mind space, but Jane wasn’t turning up. Like she hadn’t noticed Elise slipped in.  _ ‘Where are you Jane? Answer me!’  _ Her demand went unheard, the nausea was getting worse and threatened to kill off her senses completely.

  
  
  
  


Glancing at the clock, Elise deduced that the majority of the people who attended the event had already gone their separate ways. She stood up and exited the lounge, her instincts to protect the girl kicking in and sharpening her senses. Her graceful strides turned into a full out sprint as her heels clacked loudly against the walls of the arena. Flashes of a familiar shade of green entered her vision as she navigated her way using the pull of their connection towards one another. Elise recognized that mist anywhere. She knew where it came from, and how it persisted in destroying villages and small countries, gathering souls from the unfortunate who couldn’t fight back.   
  
  
  
_ The Black mist. _ _  
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How it found Jane, she didn’t know. But over the years it kept insisting in taking her summoner away from her, to become theirs, to fight for them, until she was nothing more than just a husk of her former self. More questions formed in her head than she could answer, the pull getting stronger as she arrived at the front doors of the arena. The place was empty, save for some staff that began cleaning the garbage some narrow minded summoner had thrown away.    
  
  
  
  
Her sprinting garnered some attention that went unnoticed by her, although even if she did, her priority was to keep Jane away from the clutches of the damned.   
  
  
  
Barging through the doors with such ferocity that they threatened to fall off their hinges, Elise snapped her head towards the pull of her summoner. Her eyes widened and her heart rate sped up as she saw a cloud of black mist halfway through engulfing Jane’s whole body all the way from the second floor. “Damn it!” She hissed under her breath as she crouched low to the ground, forcing her legs to muster up some momentum, before launching herself up in the air and landed directly beside the summoner.    
  
  
  
  
She could feel the black mist seeping away at Jane’s life force before it became aware that something else with another life force had come near it. The mist had rolled over to the newcomer, attempting to leech onto what warmth it could get out of it. Elise clucked her tongue at the sight of her beloved Jane standing there, completely still, her face blank and void of emotion. Jane’s eyes were blank, her skin a deathly pale color, showing the purple veins on her face.    
  
  
Elise came closer, trampling upon the mist even as it slowly enveloped both of them all at once. Grasping Jane’s hand, cold as a corpse, she wrapped her arms around her and gently carried her, like how she always does. Yes, this isn’t different from how she always collapses after her maddening runs, she’ll still wake up from it.  _ ‘Come on, let’s get you out of here. You’ll be safe back home.’  _ she cooed. She knew her reassurance was more directed to herself than to the person in her arms, but she could not help the dreaded feeling that began to gnaw at her gut. She ignored the pangs of hunger going along with it and leapt through the railings and down at the ground. She felt her stilettos break under the pressure, but Jane’s life was much more important than some material that she could always replace.    
  
  
  
  
Making sure her charge was safely tucked under her body, Elise took off sprinting again, hoping that the mist was weak enough to not follow them back, or leave it to those who live for the sake of getting rid of it. Just because she frequented the Island did not mean she wanted any of the undead. She only came there for her god, as well as to search for artifacts to give to  _ her.  _ The thought alone had become distasteful and wrong to her. Why had she decided to do what it is that she has done again? And why did it feel so wrong to think of it as that?   
  
  
  
  
She ran across the hall, not minding the people that she came in contact with. They were all surprised, some eyebrows raised, at the sprinting blur that burst through the arena’s doors and made a beeline for outside. Elise did not realize that some of them were actually champions, hoping to congratulate her for joining the League. Two of them were actually Senna and her husband, Lucian. They were hoping to have a word with Elise about the rumors of her going to the Shadow Isles, and returning without the least bit of harm to her. But they were both surprised that a thin trail of black mist followed her out of the arena doors, and some desperately clinging to the girl in her arms, her face showing worry as opposed to the confident smile and pride she had radiated earlier.    
  
  
  
“The black mist..? Why is it here?!” Lucian said in alarm, wishing he had brought along his weapons as they watched the mist slowly disappear into thin air. Senna, who knew the mist above everyone else due to the experience she always had with it when she was still a child, had a worried tone to her voice. “They want something from that girl. They’re crying out for her to save them…”


	5. Ruminating

_It was a very rainy day in Noxus. People wouldn’t know who was which down the cobbled stone path as they all wore gray robes identical to the other. Even so, it was impossible for them to wear anything else, as Noxus dictates that only the nobles are able to go outside without robes and wear something else other than that._ _  
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_ _The rain was getting progressively worse as a person among many ran as fast as she could to the alley where she and a noblewoman were supposed to meet. She clutched her hood harshly, her exposed arms showing layers and layers of scars after years and years of fighting at the Pit, the only place where many all over Noxus come to fight just to prove to people and to the higher caste they were actually worth something more than shit._ _  
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_ _She had met this noble when she approached her minutes after winning over her mother’s title and everything she had left. No one believed that she was the sole heiress left of the Contessan’s, not counting all her cousins that suddenly popped up after ditching her mother to fend for herself all those years ago._ _  
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_ _She gritted her teeth, a loud growl escaping her throat as the worn watch on her right hand notified her that it was a few minutes left before their meetup. The rows of houses in the Cive district were always the same boring color between dull gray and red. And the people? All the same. Heads hung low while their eyes betrayed the pride and haughtiness they always portray themselves as. If there was a true fact everyone would agree upon in Noxus, it is that they are all captives of war, either be one with Noxus or be one with the fallen. They take what they can get and what they can’t they destroy. Simple as that. If a country can’t be taken by peaceful diplomatic relations then that’s where they dish out everything. At least, for her, that’s what they do. Maybe she'll change her mind if they HADN'T KEPT THEM OUT OF THE DARK FOR SO DAMNED LONG._ _  
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_ _She rapidly approached her destination, two abandoned warehouses near district Hal’ev. They were once used to store adamant that they took from their territory in Ionia, but ever since the Grand General rose and took the seat of power, it was all used up and never filled with the precious material again. “She’s probably waiting for me, shit.” she cursed under her breath as she took a final turn, and made a terrible slip._

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_ _She forgot the cobblestone path ended there, replaced by a road made of cement. The smoothness of the road had made it a terrible place for horses and carriages to pass by whenever it rained, making the entire area today unpassable. Pain shot up all over her body, but mostly her arm, as it just healed from being broken to bits by a juggernaut sized gladiator a week ago. Now the pain reemerged, and she knew she had to take a trip to her oh so favorite doctor again to have it checked and make sure her bones didn’t explode in tiny bits. “God dammit all to hell and back! Stupid damn road! I’m going to kill whoever made this god awful road!” she shouted as she got up, her face getting soaked a bit by the rain, exposing dark auburn hair._ _  
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_ _She got up carefully, wincing at the pain that threatened to make her cry again. She could see a dark bruise beginning to form near her elbow. Clicking her tongue at it, she moved forward, not wanting for the woman to wait any further. All she had to do was walk a few hundred meters, she could already see the warehouses from here._ _  
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_ _Passing the first warehouse, she entered an alley beside it, her eyes and ears open for any sounds that would indicate HER presence._ _  
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_ _“What did i tell you about being late?” she jumped when a voice spoke dangerously near her ear. She learned not to trust anyone and anything but her mother and father. She told her that everyone in Noxus is as cunning as a weasel and as deceitful as a dead crow. She turned around, and there she was. Her gray eyes traveled up to crimson ones, full of mischief and allure, as well as annoyance and dissatisfaction._ _  
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_ _The girl’s scarred eyebrows furrowed together as she glared at the woman before her, who wore a crimson robe with literal gold weaved in an intricate pattern of webs from the front and across the back. The front of her robe was open, revealing a gothic dress that did not bother hiding her assets at all, and ended above her thighs. She wore black high heeled high boots, that splashed against the ground in an angry manner. Her arms were crossed, an elegant brow rose in question to the girl’s tardiness, again._ _  
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_ _“I fell on the street. Stupid fucking road. Unlike nobles who have carriages, we common folk have to drag our asses around to get where we want.” the girl aggressively responded, retracting her right arm that began to get swollen, the bruise forming a nasty purple hue. The woman saw this and couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Leaning against the wall, she took her hood off, allowing her raven colored hair and crimson bangs to fall freely behind her back._ _  
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_ _“You would be late either way, there’s no difference if you did or did not fall.” the auburn haired girl fumed against the confines of her own hood, the woman could see her clench her peculiar sharp edged teeth. She knew the girl couldn’t do the same because of their difference in status. “I didn’t waste my time getting here only to be told about differences!” The noblewoman smiled sarcastically at her. “Likewise, dear. We’re both here for only one reason. And that is to get what we want from the other.” She stood straight and went closer to the gray robed girl and circled her a few times, noting the many long and jagged scars that ran down her arms, try she might at hiding them all._ _  
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_ _She didn’t like it when the situation wasn’t in her control. She silently watched under her hood when the woman basically just checked her out. Suddenly, her vision brightened before she realized her hood was yanked off of her. She gasped when sharp nails clutched at her chin and forced her to look at the woman’s face, composed and so full of herself. What really threw her off was the dastard smirk on her face._ _  
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_ _“YOU!’ Her face now in full view, the woman saw all the scars that littered her face. Her left cheek had a lengthy slice that went to her neck and mouth. Her right had many small ones in all directions. But the fact that this noblewoman dared to touch her and unveiled her dealt much to whatever pride left she could salvage. She began to double in size, huffing and puffing her chest as she could feel her gums hurt from clenching her teeth so much. Her battered hands balled into fists, knuckles turning an absurd white. She wanted to wipe the smirk off this woman’s face with her fist, but, knowing just what she’s REALLY capable of had made her mood turn more sour. She knew she had more strength than her._

  
  
  
  


_“Spit out your conditions, Elise. I’m tired of your sick game..!” She seethed, not wanting her to know she just won their unspoken argument. Elise smiled in return, bringing her face closer to the infuriated girl. “There you go. Not so hard now, is it? All you had to do was bow down just quite a bit.” she chuckled, infuriating her even further. She slowly planted a soft kiss on the girl’s jawline before she jolted out of her grasp. Such a feisty little creature._ _  
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_ _A left hook stretched out, intending to blow her head off her shoulders, yet Elise only sidestepped, and grabbed the girl’s arm fiercely, her nails extending and hardening into blackened claws as they threatened to slice the girl’s flesh. “I thought we were over this, Havanna.” She clicked her tongue at her behavior, but it only served to fuel Havanna’s anger even more. From beneath her hood, her eyes eerily turned into silver. Gnashing her teeth together she planted both feet hard on the ground, determined to push Elise off balance. She could feel the blood starting to seep out of the wound from where Elise had grabbed her, and now began to stain her dull robe into a crimson red._ _  
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_ _Elise eyed her from her full height. She could feel her muscles tensing just from her arm, and the strength she keeps putting in order to push her off, only if a bit slightly. Alas, that thought strays too far from possibility. “Don’t. You. Fucking. Dare. BELITTLE ME!” Havanna roared out, her voice carried her the strength that made her last for so long. Using her right arm that throbbed dangerously of hurt and possibly even bones that are starting to be brittle and might break any time soon. She made an uppercut move on Elise._ _  
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_ _That she had caught with her other arm as effortlessly as she did earlier._ _  
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_ _Elise could sense how tired Havanna was with everything. After all, her only goal was to get her mother’s title back, under Elise’s sponsorship that is. Both of them knew Havanna would never be even given the chance to participate in the kill ring. If she won, Elise would get the fame and half of what the competitor won. That was what was stated in the contract. But Havanna disagreed and wanted full ownership of her mother’s title. Whatever that might entail, she didn’t want Elise to have any of it._ _  
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_ _Elise sighed. They were getting nowhere in this. While it was amusing to see her personality slowly change to that of a ruthless ruffian that was also under the effects of desperation, she didn’t like it when she began to have the strength to even shout at her own sponsor. “Is this how you repay someone who went to all the trouble of sponsoring you over something as petty as getting your dead mother’s title back? Please, your anger over something worthless to me makes me laugh. I don’t even want anything to do with it ,so take all of it with you. Whatever she has is probably garbage to me anyway. The only reason i even did it all was to take advantage of your desperation and take my fame for it.”_ _  
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_ _Elise never knew that the person in front of her was someone who came from the House of Ten, and perhaps this is the first ever time, in all of her life, did she regret what she had said._ _  
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_ **_‘How dare you…...hOw DaRE YoU…..HOW DARE YOU?!’_ ** _Havanna’s mind raged, her vision turning red as she slowly lost control of herself, and turned inward to embrace the power and lust for destruction. Her insides felt like they were being poured with hot molten iron, starting at the base of her stomach, then quickly spreading out through her entire body, down to her limbs and to her very bare bones. She could feel them reforming and stitching back together, and she could no longer feel the pain Elise’s claws did to her flesh. She could feel gums stretching and reforming, giving way to thicker, bigger, and sharper teeth, some turning into fangs. She breathed deeper, and deeper, and deeper, until she was sure she was twice her normal size. Her heart had grown and stretched outward, beating faster, stronger, and louder. Her ears could hear the blood on her veins, the excruciating pain from within her giving her the strength she needed to face the wretch that dared call her mother, a direct descendant of a Pure Blooded Contessan, worthless. A piece of trash._ _  
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_ _Havanna’s mind raced a million miles a minute. She wanted the person in front of her to be erased. Excruciatingly as possible. As painful as possible. She thought of all the ways she can damage the beauty that Elise oh so desperately craved and almost begged for. Yes...she knew...all along...THEY told her, memories that weren’t hers, of the gruesome horrors that Noxus has suffered from in the past century all for a desperate attempt to keep herself eternally youthful. The detestable acts she had done, and the pact that she had made with that_ **_vile woman_ ** _. She deserves to die. All of them, all of them, ALL OF THEM!_ _  
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_ _DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!_ _  
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_ _Her anger was amplified with what they had done to her. It was a gift from her father, the tribe, and her precious mother. Yet the intended purpose was far from done. Oh, it was far from done. She cannot rest yet, not until the Prophecy of the Damned is complete._ _  
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_ _“How…….DAREEEE…...YOU…VERRRMINNN?!” The deep growling sound that responded to Elise had surprised her. It all took a fraction of a second that when she blinked, and opened her eyes again, they widened, wide as the gaping maw that stretched to tear her face._ _  
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_ Elise remembered that day vividly as though it was yesterday. Leaping from tree to tree and evading traffic is the quickest way to get back to the mansion. She held Jane very close to her, and yet she had the urge to itch her chest as the sensation she had thought she had long forgotten had rose up again to attest to the memory. The fight that they had was something she knew she’d never forget despite the fact that it happened...a very long time ago. It would always resurface from time to time, like a ghost that cannot find rest, and if it ceased resurfacing, the scar on her chest was there to remind her of her greatest and fatal mistake.   
  
  
  
  
But then, she also gave her something she knew the girl could never forget. In the midst of their fight, Elise had transformed into her arachnid form and delivered a devastating bite on Havanna’s shoulder, that no matter what century it is, a scar would always appear in the body of where her soul is, almost as if she had damaged a part of the very soul of Havanna herself. Jane, as herself, had only remembered the important pieces of her past life as Havanna and the mission and prophecy she was to fulfill, whatever joy and personality she had was erased. Her instincts to always beat heads with someone, itching for a fight, had been completely wiped out, yet her instincts as a fighter had retained itself, a muscle memory of sorts.   
  
  
  
  
Elise admitted to herself that after that fight, she wanted to stick around the girl much longer. Havanna was the only opponent she saw worthy enough to _allow_ her beautiful and youthful body to be damaged by, let alone living at the end of it. They were both apex predators that happened upon the other and were fated to fight. Havanna hadn’t told her anything aside from what she had already known, so much so that it surprised and angered her by the fact that she was kept in the dark. She liked the dark, but only if it was _her_ dark, and in her own terms and conditions.   
  
  
  
  
Elise ignored the hunger that her body had craved hours ago. If she’s lucky then a heavy home made meal was what they both needed, and not the lust for fresh meat. If it came to that, she wouldn’t be able to handle herself being around Jane. It was only a matter of time before her next feeding cycle came around, and Valoran just fit the bill of both their needs.   
  
  
  
  
Arriving at the mansion, she was once again struck by the same predicament she had been in two days ago. Elise summoned a small batch of sentry spiders that was bigger than an Elnuk and ordered them to watch for anyone bordering in their territory and alert her. Walking inside she carelessly threw her purse on the ground and shut the door with a harsh kick. Unravelling the now sleeping Jane in her arms, Elise was relieved that her face and skin rapidly went back to normal. She carefully tread the stairs to the only sacred part of the whole mansion: their bedroom.   
  
  
  
  
Elise gently placed Jane’s body on the warm mattress and slid her vest over and up her head and threw it on the ground. She checked for Jane’s pulse on her right shoulder, right where she had bitten her. The skin beneath her two fingers was strongly pulsating with life. Pushing the fabric away, Elise’s eyes softened as her gaze traveled to the two incision-like marks that appeared on Jane’s shoulder like birth marks. She softly brushed her fingers over it, the skin was smooth compared to how it should’ve felt like when Havanna took it; ugly, disgusting, gruesome and deadly. She knew the poison that she injected was meant to kill her, but she survived and managed to land an uppercut on Elise’s chin. She unconsciously rubbed that part when it ached, demanding attention to the area that took the hit. For a moment, she had forgotten her hunger and proceeded to gaze lovingly at the mark she had given Jane. That no matter what form she took, it would always be there, like a reminder that she now owned Havanna and her soul.   
  
  
  
  
Elise bent down and planted her lips firmly at the exact spot. Her fangs had slowly retracted her lips, and just as she had thought, the distance of the mark was wide because she bit her while in her arachnid form, and yet the intimate feeling that came with it in the moment had made her fangs rest their tips just above Jane’s skin. Pushing in any further would draw blood, and then she wouldn’t be able to contain herself any further.   
  
  
  
She raised herself away from the bed and stripped herself before going to the shower. Today was a very stressful day. Her muscles were sore just from sitting for thirty minutes of being oriented on what to do on stage. Luckily, no Noxian champions attended her ceremony, which was both a relief and a disappointment at the same time. As Elise turned on the shower to a steam, she stared at herself in the mirror in front of the shower.   
  
  
  
  


Her body was flawless if there hadn’t been three large claw marks running sideways across her chest that started on her left shoulder and ended just below the right side of her stomach. She compared its size to her hand, which has a huge marginal difference. It has enough size for two of her fingers to fit through the gaps of each scar. It was unsightly, to say the least. As _the_ person who was in constant favors for the Black Rose as well as to her god on the Shadow isles, she did not even want anyone touching a part of her body, even if only pure unintentional.   
  
  
  
  
But this one, this one is different and she wanted it to stay like this. She was a fool for belittling Havanna and she won’t make that same mistake with Jane. Although they were most definitely the same person, some of their personalities, habits, and tendencies to do something are different from one another so much that they wouldn’t be told that they were the same.   
  
  
  
The only thing that she could find about them is very eerily similar to the other was the magic that feeds them through their veins, not changing in the slightest even though it should have. And Elise could feel its power steadily growing everyday, by the minute.


	6. Remains of a memory buried

_ She felt herself drifting in the abyss that she always came to whenever she slept. As if trapped in a bubble with no hope of ever escaping, she felt the coldness that seeped under the fabric of her vest. She had been here many times more than she could remember, and yet every time she would come here the feeling of the feeling had never truly settled within her. _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _ ‘I’m here again…’ Jane thought, opening her eyes. It was so dark so much that it was no different than closing your eyes. She opted for doing that instead, and allowed her body to sway along with the current.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _ ‘Wake up.’ she heard a voice. It sounded feminine, mature, and almost irritated. Jane wondered who it could be. ‘Who are you..?’ she softly answered back, slowly but surely beginning to enjoy the waves rocking for body to and fro, like a mother cradling her child. _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _ ‘I said wake up.’ the voice sounded louder and more angry. Jane opened her eyes again, yet the darkness was all that greeted her. A sigh echoed in her left, so she gently waded her body to its direction. It was silent for a while, the only noise in the background were the waves crashing against the sand of the beach in the distance. At least....that’s what she thought. _

  
  


_ ‘Time’s a wastin. Get up already. Don’t make me kick your ass up there. You don’t get to be dead yet. You can’t have that choice.’ the voice’s tone changed to that of determination, as if the strength it took came from the very darkness that surrounded both of them. Jane’s eyes opened once more, but instead of looking around her, she looked up to the light that called. When Jane looked back to where the sound had originated, it was already gone, along with the familiar presence that came along with it. _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ \--------------------

  
  
  


The light outside flitted from the windows, greeting Jane with it’s morning kiss. Her emerald eyes lazily opened to see the whole room basked aglow with the morning light.  _ ‘Red curtains, red mattress, red red red.’  _ The cozy presence the room provided made a dopey smile cross Jane’s features. The only thing that prevented her from getting up was her own body refusing to move. A wave of tiredness crashed over her as she lay there, almost paralyzed. She noticed that her vest was removed, judging by the lightness above her skin. She only realized that she was in a very comfortable position. 

  
  
  
Suddenly the door opened, revealing a very tired looking Elise. Her hair was disheveled yet still retained that poise and elegance she always carried with her. Today she was wearing a black shirt partnered with denim jeans, which really accentuated all of her curves. Jane raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of wardrobe. It took her a few moments to realize that it was actually her clothes.   
  
  
“Good morning. And if I remember correctly, those are mine?” Confusion was written all over her features as Elise made her way over their bed. “You remembered wrong then. Although these are a bit...tight.” She planted a firm kiss on Jane’s forehead before ruffling her hair up. She wondered what could have gotten over Elise, and based on last night’s behavior, she guessed it was the food. “Glad it still managed to fit then.” Jane yawned loudly and snuggled back under the covers, eliciting a small laugh from the older woman.    
  
  
  
Elise took a chair from the corner and sat beside their bed. She was genuinely curious as to what had happened last night. She had some questions that needed honest answers. Propping a hand over her chin while putting a leg on top of the other, she stared at Jane expectantly, to which the girl met with a raised eyebrow. With a sigh, she retold what transpired to Elise.   
  
  
  
“First, i’m really sorry about last night. I didn’t really mean to crash your welcome ceremony. It just...it happened out of the blue.” she slowly brought a hand to her face, remembering the sight that made her vulnerable. So weak. The voices that cried out to her out of desperation to save them, and others that blamed her whole existence and the reason for their demise. She vividly remembered how keen they are on taking her down with them, down into the void.

  
  


“It’s my family...they...they visited me.” now it was Elise’s turn to raise an eyebrow. She knew for a fact what she saw. The Black mist spiraled out of control and almost devoured Jane right then and there. “Nonsense. I knew what I saw. The Black mist was half up your body and already drained half of your life force. You’re as pale as a corpse by the time I arrived!” she said in disbelief. She wished Havanna trusted her enough to tell her everything about the prophecy. Although pressing her way through Jane’s mind is as easy as a snap of her fingers, something compelled her to stop. As if it wasn’t the time for it yet. But to be left out of something important as this was something she did not like.

  
  


Jane shook her head. She had been attacked like that way before she and Elise had even met one another. “I  _ knew _ it was the Black mist, Elise. That’s what they do so you can’t fight back. They lure you in with the promise to finally be with your loved ones. Once they sense that there’s someone who was weak willed and...and…” She stuttered, turning quiet at her own sudden realization. Elise caught on, and cast her gaze down at the silky white sheets. It was true, what Jane said. She wasn’t as strong as Havanna because Jane hadn’t experienced the traumatic and insane things that she had. Well, she  _ did,  _ although it was already buried deep in the past. Uprooting it would only cause more chaos and turmoil in the girl’s heart and mind. What’s in the past should stay in the past.   
  
  
  
While she isn’t the kind of woman who offered remorse or sympathy to any kind of being, she placed a comforting hand on Jane’s shoulder, and did not say anything else. It was the least she could do. They needed to move on quickly before this morning could get any more sour. Jane smiled sadly and looked at the morning rays of sunshine outside the window. Based on the trees and leaves swaying, it was a bit windy. She turned to Elise and asked in a hopeful tone. “Can we go outside please?” Sensing the sudden avoidance of the subject, the Spider queen gave a deep breath and released it in a sigh. “Only for an hour, and after we eat breakfast. I still need my beauty sleep.” She uncrossed her legs, stood up, and plopped down on top of Jane’s stomach. Jane almost successfully rolled her eyes at Elise’s statement if it weren’t for blunt pain spreading throughout her midsection.

  
  
  
  


The sheer force of Elise’s fall made her groan, her empty stomach getting crushed at the sudden weight it was exposed to. “Get off meeeeee…I haven’t had anything to eat since  _ days  _ ago and i’m already dying.” she whined in protest, flailing her arms and legs out in an attempt to push off the unwanted weight. Elise laughed the entire time, wishing moments like this would last forever. “You...idiot…” Jane huffed when Elise finally gave way for the poor girl to stand. “You could’ve killed me then and there!” she stretched her limbs up once she got off the bed. She was about to head for the shower when she heard a low seductive whistle behind her. She saw the Spider queen gorgeously propped up perfectly atop the bed, her crimson eyes looked way too inviting to be ignored by Jane.

  
  


  
“Uhh?” Jane was confused before realizing that Elise wasn’t looking directly at her, but at her legs and undergarment, and no pants in sight. “Don’t mind me, just enjoying the view.” Elise drawled out a sly smile that made Jane flush redder than Elise’s own hair. “Elise you creep! Stop undressing me in my sleep!”

  
  
  


“I’m more surprised at your incredibly fast metabolism after the amount of plates you have refilled and ate, in less than thirty minutes might I add.” Elise did not try to hide the amount of jealousy she had for the girl. She eyed the five or so plates that were stacked among the others at the side of the table, ever increasing as Jane ate her sixth one, full to the brim with pancakes, bacon, and rice that Elise cooked for the famished girl. Jane rolled her eyes at Elise and continued scarfing down what remained of her last plate. “I bet you were just as hungry as i am...possibly even more...when you ate by yourself last night. The reason why you probably even made this much just seems to prove my...statement even..further.” she retorted in between mouthfuls, stopping only to gulp down water.   
  
  
Elise raised a well defined eyebrow at the prodding and gentle insult she received. But an insult is still an insult, she could not allow this one to pass. She pulled her chair closer to Jane, who was still busy eating, and promptly whispered in her ear, “I would have you for dessert, if you weren’t so deep asleep last night though.” Jane’s eyes widened when she felt a hot breath against her ear, and choked on the pancake she had stuffed in her mouth. When she recovered, Elise was already out the door, leaving her with cleaning the table and grumbling in disdain.

  
  
  


\--------------------------

  
  
  


It was a fine day at Valoran. Since the next season for the league won’t start for another three days - as today is thursday - the duo basically have the rest of the time to themselves. That meant it was time for sightseeing and touring around, adding in the absence of their handler and it became a bonus. Though that meant no car, which meant they’re going to have to walk to the main square, a distance the two don’t seem to mind.   
  
  
“It really has been a while since we last walked together, hadn’t we? It’s a bit refreshing since it’s morning and we don’t have good mornings back in Noxus…” Jane commented, eyeing the lush wildlife that surrounded them as they walked near the road leading to the main square. They could hear the sounds of cars going by their right, the trees obscuring their sight of the other side.   
  
  
  
Elise closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of fertile ground, the crisp and unpolluted wind, as well as the scent of extravagant yet mild lavender perfume, mixed with something minty in it. “Yes. It truly was a while that I had forgotten how pleasant mornings are. Although i have to admit it doesn’t have the same feeling as the one in your forest.” Jane beamed in pride at the mention of her beloved forest. Her tribe had gone to great lengths just to protect it. Summoning the Scarecrow was just one of the many things they did to ensure no one laid a hand on anything living in their territory. To their surprise and relief  _ It  _ actually seemed to trust them and made a deal with her people. Anyone who doesn’t carry the symbol of their tribe would have their soul taken and eaten. In exchange,  _ It  _ would protect them.   
  
  
  
“Yes, our mornings there are the best, but you might want to be careful of going there on your own. You don’t want anything following you back.” she said in a scary manner, trying to change the noblewoman's mind. Elise merely shook her head and kicked a rock with her boot. She was more than glad to change her shorts into fitting jeans. Although she has domain over her beloved spiderlings, mosquitoes aren’t kind enough to spare her. They are beyond irritating, especially to her skin. 

  
  


The path in front of them opened up to a small stream, where fishes struggled against the current, trying to swim upstream. The water was crystal clear, frogs and snails milled about, carrying on with their lives. Jane hopped on a large boulder, extending a hand for Elise to take. The older woman hesitated for a bit as she can leap to the boulder with ease. And yet the invitation to grasp the younger woman’s hand was something she couldn’t just replicate, and thus took it instead.   
  
  
It always remained a surprise to her how warm Jane’s hand was, compared to hers. She knew how calloused they were, due to Jane being...well,  _ Jane, _ and yet it still felt smooth as a riverstone to her. Comfortable, is what she felt. 

  
  


Jane silently hopped to the other side of the stream, then turned around to see Elise doing the same, and landed a few meters away from her. The motion struck Jane as her mind thought of something fun to do while on their leisure walk. She knew the older woman wouldn't say no to a good competition. “Hey Elise!” she was already running when she called out. Said woman turned her head a little too late when she felt a force tap on her shoulder. “Last one to arrive at the main square is a fatty!” she really had to drive the point home for added measure. She could already see Elise’s face reddening like her hair in anger at what she said.   
  
  
  
Elise could feel veins popping at the insult even though it wasn’t directed at her, but more on to who the loser of the match was. If she allowed herself to be last though, then that insult would really be directed at her. Shifting her weight to her legs, she sprang forth in a burst of speed, not about to be bested by someone who had equal footing with her for over decades of knowing the other.   
  
  
_ ‘Crap, I really pushed her over’ _ Jane guffawed maniacally in her head as her ears picked up the fast paced crunching of boots over soil behind her. A smile stretched its way to her lips as she quickened her own pace, loving the memory that spurred forth as she began to hop over large stones and boulders while purposely hitting up the soil behind her to slow the enraged Spider down. The trees blurred and gave way to light greenery as they unfolded to let the sun’s morning rays hit the forest floor. Her platinum blonde hair shone brightly against the natural color of the foliage, giving her position away quickly, but paid no mind. She loved her hair running freely against the rush of the wind, it reminded her that she was free. Free to do her own thing.

  
  


\---------------------

  
  
  


“Darn...you...cheater!” Jane bent forward as she gasped and panted while gaining back her breath. They had successfully arrived at the main square so early that there were no people milling about yet. Elise smiled smugly at the younger girl before her. “No one dares call me something as vile as a fatty.” Although Jane had the lead and was almost at the end of the forest path and into the city streets, Elise morphed into her arachnid form and aimlessly dragged Jane around by the neck using her mandibles, resulting in branches and dirt lodging themselves on the girl’s hair, which did nothing to hide them in sight because of their lightness in color.

  
  
  


“Oh give me a break. That doesn’t count!” she glared at the woman above her who radiated pride at her victory, then stood up properly to dust her hair and clothes off of debris and take out the occasional branch that got tangled in it. “You didn’t state the rules properly, so I assumed I might lose even in my other form.” Elise stretched to her full height, enjoying the fact that she got to transform into her more “gorgeous and perfect” form after a while of not being able to do so. Jane gave her the stink eye before looking around at the still empty and vacated square.   
  
  
  
The ground was made of white marble flooring while benches littered about, surrounding a pristine fountain that wasn’t turned on just yet. Beautiful hedges of roses and other flowers gave the benches some form of shade from behind, giving color to the whiteness of the surroundings. “We’re so early we can’t get to see people in their everyday action.” Jane huffed as she slunked down at a nearby bench, noticing her black cargo pants and combat boots caked in mud. “Great, now i have to deal with this.” she bent down and tried to get rid of some, while Elise kept looking around, her eyes exploring the details of the patterns carved on the walls and on the fountain.

  
  


Walking to the edge of the fountain, Elise saw fishes of all colors and sizes freely swimming around the surprisingly deep water, as well as her own reflection. Elise glanced at it as though looking at a mirror, checking to see if there was some dirt that got on her hair. So far, there were none that could ruin her image for the day.    
  
  
  
Once the sun’s rays had reached the city grounds, people slowly came out from their houses and went about their daily business. Children had come to the fountain to play while nearby food stalls had opened. Elise and Jane slowly witnessed the city square come alive on its own, and gave the younger of them a sense of nostalgia.    
  
  
  
“It’s beautiful…” Jane murmured. Elise eyed her silently, watching the emotions in her eyes flit from one to another, all at once. Regret, and perhaps a sense of completeness, even if only for the moment. This part of her resonated deeply with Havanna. She had always been sentimental, so honest, so true, so down to earth. It reminded her of why she had done all those horrific things a long time ago.    
  
  
  
“Look at the imperfections you see around you, Elise.” Jane’s voice held a melancholic tone to it. The older woman seemed to pick up quickly. They never got to finish the topic when Demacia’s forces launched a bombing strike at the industrial districts of Noxus when Darkwill's forces had been recalled from Ionia when Swain rose to power, ending his rule along with the invasion. Although Elise survived the strike miraculously without a scratch, the same could not be said for Havanna.

  
  


Elise closed her eyes as the painful memory arose.   
  
  
  
_ “I’m not late this time, haven’t i?” Havanna smiled from within her hood as she approached the person who wore a crimson robe at a table in a small restaurant. They were situated at the far back to avoid potential eavesdroppers. It was a nice day out, and now that both of them had come to terms with their feelings for one another, they finally had their first ever date.  _

  
  


_ “You’re late by two minutes. I am not having that.” although the tone she used was cold, Havanna sensed the mirth hidden beneath. Sitting opposite of Elise, they both took off their hoods, exchanging pleasantries while a waiter handed them each their coffee. Elise glared at him when she saw how weird he looked at them both, although it is almost considered taboo when someone sees a noble with a commoner, much more when someone has the sigil of higher nobility. The waiter quickly dismissed himself with an apology and she doubted he would come back. _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _ Havanna, thanks to Elise, had somewhat become calmer the more they spent time with one another. And over the course of that period, she had grown a soft spot for the girl. No, she wasn’t a girl anymore. Elise quietly shook her head. Havanna had always been a woman. There might be times where she would scold her as if she were a child, but she would only show that side of her whenever she was around her. That thought brought a sense of warmth over her heart that she always thought of as cold and hard as ice. _

  
  
  


_ Both of them quietly sipped their coffee together, enjoying the morning atmosphere as the smell of coffee wafted around them. Havanna placed her cup down and glanced outside, seeing some children playing with a ball and passing it to the other. “That reminds me, did you bring what I asked you to bring?” she asked Elise while still gazing at the children outside. Said woman raised an eyebrow before nodded lightly, watching joy and mirth turn to sadness from within Havanna’s eyes. Such peculiar emotions, they are.  _

  
  


_ Havanna then nodded to herself. Taking a deep breath, she asked her, “Elise, what do you see around you? And how do you see it for what it is?” Elise tilted her head for a bit, and roamed her eyes at her surroundings. “Is this one of your philosophical teachings again? I admit when i first heard it coming from a belligerent person like you, i was quite surprised.” A sip of her coffee, “I see a quaint restaurant that could be turned into a high class one if provided the right amount of funding. Commoners milling around outside,” the laughter of children caught her attention then, “and children playing about in the dirt. Overall, a very imperfect and bland world. Why do you ask?” Havanna shook her head with a laugh that tickled Elise’s ears.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _ “Of course that’s how you’d see it.” she rolled her eyes and continued sipping her coffee while still looking at the children outside. One of them had fallen down and cried. A boy ran up to the girl, probably the youngest of them, and offered to help her up. “Listen, the world  _ is  _ imperfect. Nothing can ever be perfect, not like this. Perfection has no place in a world where struggling is a necessity for one’s survival. That imperfection you’re talking about is what makes everything  _ perfect. _ ” Elise scoffed at the irony Havanna had just said. “How can something imperfect be then perfect? Your philosophy precedes me. Or is it all just made up?” Yet the once belligerent woman had only glanced at her with a look that could be symbolically translated as pity. “You know, I don't know who is the more dense person between the two of us.” She chuckled. Elise replied with a huff instead, knowing what the other was talking about. _

  
  
  


_ “The only dense one i know around here is-” Elise stopped her retort as a sudden alarm sound reverberated unbearably in her ears. Havanna’s senses sharpened for any danger as the people both in and out of the establishment began to panic. A squad of men dressed in the uniform of the soldiers in Noxus barged in without any relent and shouted at the people inside.  _

  
  
  


_ “GET TO THE BUNKERS IMMEDIATELY! I REPEAT GET TO THE BUNKERS IMMEDIATELY! WE”VE SIGHTED A LARGE PROJECTILE HITTING THE WHOLE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR IN LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES!” Elise and Havanna’s eyes widened at the urgent announcement. Then anger flashed before Havanna’s eyes. “YOU PIG! YOU’RE TELLING THAT TO US NOW?!” Do they not know how many commoners were living in the Industrial sector?!  _

  
  
  


_ She was about to lunge at the nearest soldier she could get her hand on when she felt Elise’s sharp nails dug into her arm. “Now’s not the time, Havanna!” she hissed, then dragged her outside, to where the screaming and panic became imminent and louder. Elise could literally smell the fear in the air. “Come on, we need to go underground as fast as we can. Damned Demacians.” Elise cursed, but Havanna wasn’t listening to her. She was far more worried about the surprising amount of people that don’t know where the underground bunkers are.  _

  
  


_ “No. Elise, you go on. I have to guide these people to the bunkers. They don’t know where to go!” she pleaded the noblewoman. Elise looked at her incredulously, as if the person before her had grown two heads. She had to be stubborn now of all times?! Her hold on Havanna’s arm tightened, refusing to let go of her. They could both see from the sky what the soldier was talking about. It was a massive arrow of some sort, Elise could feel the magic embedded in its arrowhead. She laughed humorlessly at the hypocrisy of it all. “So they plan to attack us with  _ magic? _ Hypocritical bastards.”  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Havanna was running out of time, she needed to herd the people to the bunker. “Elise, listen to me. Please!” she shook the older woman’s shoulders harshly, bringing the attention back to her. Elise’s eyes scanned her face. Worry, determination, and a sense of fulfillment are the only things she could see. Her crimson eyes widened at the next big realization that dawned on her. Her heart and mind froze at the sad smile Havanna gave her. _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _ “For once in my entire life Elise. I’ve done something I decided on by myself. Honor it for a change, would you?” The last thing she felt were a pair of warm lips that softly descended and captured her own lush one’s. Elise’s heart jumped as she instinctively reacted against the motion, her arms drawing Havanna’s body closer to her, to feel her near her own was nothing short of heaven. She momentarily forgot what was happening in the outside world, as only Havanna meant the world to her. Then just as quickly as it came, the intimacy they both shared ended. _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _ “Now go. Go you idiot! Someone needs to tell them  _ where _ exactly they should go!” Havanna turned Elise around and pushed her away. It was the last time she had ever seen her before the arrow came and embedded itself on the ground, unleashing a horrible wave of magic that had accumulated over the years Demacia had spent spilling the blood of their own. The after effects were just as horrible, but not as tragic as what had happened to her lover whom she had called her own in pure genuinity. _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ A lone tear had escaped Elise’s right eye as she remembered the gruesome aftermath of what happened. Later on Swain would retaliate by sending his most trusted assassin’s to slay some of Demacia’s most important families, crucial to Demacia’s growth itself. What they didn’t know was that the Scarecrow had also upheld its deal with the last member of the White Witch and went on its way to wreak havoc upon the outskirts of Demacia, closely followed by one of its own,  _ Nightmare.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ And  _ she,  _ on the other hand, had taken it upon herself to track down, one by one, all of the survivors that Havanna had saved from their demise, in exchange for her own. 

  
  
  


_ When dust and rubble had cleared, Elise had been the first to come back to the surface. The entire sector, which made up a third of Noxus itself, was decimated and flatlined to the ground. Fires were everywhere, broken water lines had made geysers erupt from the once beautiful streets and made it a flooded mess. She searched hours upon hours for Havanna, until she spotted her, surrounded by fire in the center of a wide and deep crater. Gasping at the bloody state she was in, Elise had taken her torn robe off of her body and jumped down below to Havanna’s side. Her eyes widened in horror as the entire left part of her body had vanished into a macabre mess. Her right leg had been torn off as well, and her right eye… _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _ Elise covered her mouth as tears spilled forth. She had never thought she would cry over the loss of someone else other than her own beauty being ruined. She didn’t know where to start, as she imagined it hurt everywhere to hurt for her. She used her robe to cover the horrendous image that would forever be burned into her mind. It didn’t take her a few minutes to realize that the site they were both in was the place where the magic imbued arrow had landed, and that Havanna took the brunt of it with her own.  _

  
  


_ As if she had no strength left to comprehend what had happened, Elise’s legs gave in and slumped to the ground. Her lover lay before her, dead. Had it not for the magic that had coated her skin, the fire had already burned her. She clawed at the ground as her rage and grief came forth uncontrollably. She swore on Havanna’s name that she would hunt every last Demacian and torture them until she was satisfied that they had suffered worse than her. _

  
  


_ Suddenly she heard a faint gasp that came from below her. For the upteenth time her eyes had widened, and this time in disbelief. How can she still be alive when her heart had been obliterated?! “Havanna!” Elise choked out, quickly coming to her side as she brushed dirt, blood and debris away from her lover’s scarred face. A single crack on her remaining eye had opened, revealing a silver orb that Elise had grown to love. More tears spilled out as logic failed to work in her mind, refusing to accept such a thing to happen. _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _ “E--Elise…” Havanna gurgled out, blood had begun to come out from her mouth as she coughed once, then twice. Elise’s robe had been stained with the blood from her wounds and slowly drenched the entirety of it. Havanna was running out of time, she knew she needed to tell Elise for everything depended on her now. For the prophecy to continue, she needed someone to kill her eventually. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ With her remaining strength, Havanna placed a bloody hand on Elise’s shoulder, staining her clothes. “You have to do it..!” She coughed again, drawing more blood. Elise understood what she meant, yet refused to do so. Havanna shook her head slowly. “You have to before I die. Elise. Listen to me…” It was her last plea, she had to convince her to do it. “Now’s not the time to be stubborn, you damned idiot. The moment you wasted your breath on me was the moment you sealed the deal. We’re already in this shit together...you hear me? Take out Athame’s sister and relieve it from its duty.” _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _ She knew to accept the fate placed upon her. She had always dreamed of a day where she would be met by her untimely death, and yet she wavered at the sight of Elise actually showing emotions that were far from being felt by her. Havanna’s arm then traveled up to Elise’s porcelain face, as youthful as ever, and as vicious if not more as a black widow. Willing the last of her strength, she brushed her vibrant red lips with a bloodied finger. _

  
  


_ “Smile for me... please.” her limb fell back into the ground as she gasped out her remaining breaths, all the while staring at the mortified face of her lover. She wanted to wipe the look Elise had given her, but she’s on the last strings of her life, any second now and she would either join her ancestors, or if Elise would continue the prophecy. Havanna closed her eyes, thinking that whatever was decided, she will accept it wholeheartedly. Her senses had slowly dulled, her hearing of Elise’s heartbeat had slowly become muted. She couldn't hear the muffled words that Elise had said, but she felt something stabbed at her forehead, her vision turning into a drastic white. _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ “I could see the beauty of being imperfect, darling.” Elise responded as she noticed that the sun had already rosen up and that it was already eight in the morning. People were everywhere. Families, children, vendors and merchants, even summoners of some ranks had been there. If somehow, Jane had remembered that moment, then Elise would not comment on it. Nor would she tell her of what had transpired after her death.   
  
  
  
_ The people were still shaken by the sudden bombing that Demacia had done to them. Some were weeping in the corner,comforted by strangers and friends alike, some complained and demanded that Demacia be burnt to the ground. And some talked about a heroic young lady who had guided them to where they should head for. But most were overcome by panic and refused to talk to anyone. _

  
  
  


_ They all heard a loud noise of the magic enhanced metal door from outside. Some backed up, afraid of what was beyond the door. It slowly opened, revealing a noblewoman that screamed higher nobility. But what caught their attention were the mass of spiders of all shapes and sizes crawling on the ceiling and on the ground entering the bunker. Their mandibles clicked in anticipation as they turned to their mistress, awaiting an order. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “W--What’s the meaning of this?!” a noble of lower ranking demanded. He was answered by a bone chilling maniacal smile that already ate away at his soul the moment he gazed upon it. Lightbulbs suddenly flickered on and off, before suddenly exploding one by one, blanketing them all in darkness. People voiced their panics and concerns once more, but they were all silenced by a menacing laughter. All they could see in the dark were very big and bright crimson orbs, as well as smaller ones, before a hideous voice filled with venom and hate spoke,  _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _ “No one leaves this place alive.” _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _ Laughter echoed amongst the massacred voices of people and children screaming for help from above. Yet no one shall ever know that a bunker had housed hundreds of chopped, desiccated, and webbed up pieces of human remains that had existed beneath the soils of Noxus. _   
  


  
  
  
  



	7. Start of the death march

To say that Jane was excited for her first day being an official summoner became a quick understatement for Elise. She had woken from her slumber at an ungodly hour of four a.m to see the young woman scampering around like a mouse trying to get a hold of things she needed to bring to the arena without trying to wake her. Unfortunately, her enhanced hearing had made it entirely impossible. Jane was undoubtedly a big lump of energy that kept on continuously growing until it found a way to release itself. Elise sighed as she eyed Jane from atop their bed.

  
  


“Jane, it is  _ four in the morning _ . The arena doesn’t open until  _ seven. _ ” she groaned out with a roll of her eyes, seeing Jane putting random things in her backpack without listening to her. The tiny droplets of water that stuck and dripped from Jane’s hair had told Elise that the soon to be summoner had already taken a bath. God knows how _ freezing  _ the waters can be at this hour.

  
  
  


Fitting her fingerless black gloves on, Jane stood and slung her backpack behind her shoulder. “Come on, Elise. Don’t you feel excited for me? I’m finally going to be a summoner---wait, I finally  _ am  _ a summoner! Years and years of struggling in the Pit with no hope of ever escaping that dastard arena manager had finally paid off!” She wiped a few stray tears in her eyes, and yet they didn’t stop the shine of excitement and bubbling energy behind the curtain of eyelashes from Jane’s eyes. 

  
  
  
  


Elise merely grunted and curled back in their bed again. She wasn’t looking forward to Swain’s inevitable call to the Noxian dorms near the Institute, nor was she looking forward to meeting any Noxian related champions at all. She has no business with them whatsoever, and it wasn’t any time soon for her to be visiting LeBlanc. She closed her eyes and envied Jane’s energy to continue throughout the day. Just looking at the younger woman was enough to deplete her reserves already. Maybe it was because she was the one who taught her to prepare so early to avoid being late every time they would meet all those years ago, and now it came back to bite her.

  
  
  


On the other hand, Jane was self checking herself for anything she missed when she glanced at the silent brooding noblewoman on the crimson bed, curled up below the sheets. Okay, she  _ might’ve _ been a little bit too noisy while taking a shower, or her heavy boots stomping harshly across the carpet, or her shuffling of clothes. With an apologetic smile she softly sat at the foot of the bed and slowly crawled her way behind Elise and laid down.   
  
  
  
The sudden drop of weight behind her made Elise open her eyes before feeling warm lips against her bare shoulder. “I’m sorry for waking you up this early.” Her soft voice had left a pleasant tingle run all over Elise’s body. She could be such a charmer if she wanted it to be. “How about I sleep with you until 5:30? That sound good?” and to think that it was Elise herself that had been doing this in the past. Oh how the tables have turned.

  
  
  


Elise fully turned to Jane with a feline smile that seemed to make the mage’s magical heart skip a beat. “Bold of you to offer to sleep with me. I would have no way to say no to that request.” the sight of Jane’s rapidly reddening face is priceless. Her mouth went agape as a failed attempt of a retort became a mess of incomprehensible words. She averted her gaze from the older woman’s as Elise began to chuckle at the reaction. “Aw look at you, you’re so red and cute!” she teased as Jane began to puff in embarrassment. Elise spotted a pair of hands raised high in the air, before she found herself laughing uncontrollably as Jane began to assault her with tickles all over her body.   
  
  
  
“No! Stop! Don’t you...dare...do this to me!” she said in between laughing and gasping for air. She shoved Jane off back to the bed and expertly swatted the offending hands out of the way and attacked with her own. The day had started with both of them laying in sweat below a pile of torn up silken sheets.   
  
  
  
  
  


\--------------------------------------

  
  
  
  


Jane had arrived in front of the massive gates that led to the arena. Their staff holder, Kent, had shown up at their doorstep with a sheepish grin on his face and had been kind enough to come back for them for the third time and drove her all the way there with Elise. 

  
  


“Here, take this.” Kent tossed a small green hooded cowl from the driver’s seat as he watched Jane expertly catch it with one hand, although her expression was one of confusion. “What’s this for?” she asked while putting it on anyway.

  
  
  


“All summoners below a certain rank wear those for, I guess safety reasons. Lots of low elo players act rashly and take the game’s loss with them and dish it out on their teammates after.” Jane nodded with a gulp and turned to Elise, who as usual claimed her spot in the passenger’s seat as if it were her throne. She wore a crimson robe with an embroidered pattern of gold web that made Jane’s mind tingle in concern and uncertainty. She knew there was a high chance that it had something to do with their past. She shook it aside and leaned on the car’s door frame, peeking her head in from the half opened window.   
  
  
  
“Good luck with the General,” her voice wavered a bit at the call of his alias, she knew Elise wasn’t too fond of meetings no matter the hollow praises they spoke of when she achieved something good for their plans. “It’ll be over before you know it.” she gave Elise a sympathetic smile as the spider queen gave her her own reassuring one. She knew that both of them knew the other had changed significantly over the years. Although highly uncharacteristic of her, Elise has her own way of donning different masks for different occasions.

  
  
  


Jane nodded back to Kent as she leaned away from the car, sliding her backpack securely behind her. “You take care of her now. And if she ever pranks you again, tell me.” she could see Elise cross her arms with a huff while looking in the opposite direction. Hmm, another crisis averted it seemed. Kent had the same idea and silently thanked Jane as he sped off into the highway. Knowing that the Noxian General would undoubtedly not be happy if one of his expected guests at the Noxian Grounds would be late, and because of him no less.

  
  


  
  
Jane watched them go until they were out of sight before heading inside the arena. The temperature of the place was so much cooler than outside that she wished this was the norm for the outside temp as well. She took out the flyer that the woman at the registration had given her and sought the newbie’s arena. She was actually shocked when she found out that the Grand arena housed five inner arenas with the World’s championship arena at the center. Luckily the arena she was supposed to be in was near her, in the lower west wing. She secured the hood above her head and began her short walk towards her destination.   
  
  
  
  
She was nervous to say the least. Many people wore the same color of robes around her and headed towards the same hallways and corridors. There were at least a few hundred of them, ranging in various sizes, height, and weight. They were covered by the same hood from the upper part of their faces and left the lower part open. Some brought backpacks like her while others brought something as small as a purse. She wouldn’t know how they would make it out through the day, as long as she knew she would be up here till night just to get the basics burned through her skull as quickly as possible without forgetting them.   
  
  
  
The doors that led to the inner arena were radically smaller than the ones in the central arena, but that did not help calm Jane’s nerves one bit. From within the darkness of her hood, light had flooded her vision as they marched towards the center, seeing a very respectable elder man in a white suit meeting them from the other side of the arena. Closely following behind him where what made Jane’s eyes widen in excitement, and fear. Aside from the difference in clothing, as well as the angelic wings and the other wielding a lamp post in the other’s hand, there was no doubt that the beings behind the man were champions. Two who are very popular across all elos and matches. Jax, the Grandmaster at Arms, and Kayle, The Judicator.

  
  
  


Their presence had made Jane breathless and awed at the power that they exuded. Even the summoners behind her felt the same. They were all a bit anxious after seeing the two champions, it was a scent that her nose had immediately picked up upon. The trio of newcomers stopped a few distances away from them, yet the elderly man’s clear and crisp voice held the strength that could rally soldiers for battle. His aura alone was enough to quieten the hearts of the growing anxious crowd before him. 

  
  


“I bid you all welcome, new summoners.” His arms opened wide to greet them with warmth. Jane noticed Kayle softly landing on the ground silently, her sword held in a rigid yet polished stance. The purple clothed champion on the gentleman’s other side merely propped his lamp post weapon and casually leaned on it, as if he was used to such occasions. 

  
  
  


She always saw the man in the white suit whenever the League’s official World championships began. He would lead the opening and closing speeches and they always held power behind his every word. All summoners respected him to a certain degree and knew not to mess with him. His well aged appearance grew with experience and wiseness throughout his years of being in the league. It was one of her many regrets of missing out on his matches from when he was still a summoner just like them.

  
  


““My name is Aquillas, the High Summoner of the League of Legends. Now, many of you here have come from all over runeterra for various reasons, some of which are too personal and deep to tell. The Institute, as well as the League welcomes you regardless of who you are or your purpose. Here, you may be whoever you wish to be, so go ahead and don’t hold back.” His speech radiated warmth that Jane could feel through her very soul. No doubt that although she has lived way before him, he had all the experience she lacked in so many ways. His voice reminded her of her own caring father. He might be considered a careless parent for the way he would teach his children to grow, but deep down she knew that he is the figure she needed. She gave a sad smile as she studied the powerful trio in front of them. Later on, she hoped he would understand her for what she is about to do.

  
  
  


“From here on out, you are considered my children. Needless to say, you have to abide by the rules of the League or the corresponding Champions in authority would hunt you down.” he chuckled heartily, which in turn prompted a nervous laugh from the crowd. Once it died down, High Summoner Aquillas garnered their attention with a clap of his hands. “Knowing all of that, you will now enter your first series of tutorials to grasp the essence of being a summoner,” a sense of excitement spread across the crowd, yet Jane sensed a ‘but’ in the High Summoner’s sentence. “But until you get the basics done, you will be practicing with Champions that the Institute has generated solely for practice. Meaning, you don’t get to engage with real Champions just yet.” and with the finality in his voice, the rookie summoners’ hope of finally doing the same thing that summoner’s in their dreams do in t.v have been crushed once again. That had earned a laugh from the observing Jax. “Ah rookies. They never change.” 

  
  
  
  


Jane hadn’t known she had been staring at them for too long when Kayle had finally met her gaze. A cold chill ran up her arms as she quickly averted her gaze away before she garnered attention to herself. Unbeknownst to her, she already had. Even among the dense crowd full of green, in some ways, Aquillas had sensed a very powerful and poorly contained aura amongst them. His frequent training with Shen over the years led to him acquiring the ability to see a bit to the spirit realm. And through there, he could see the chaotic and jumbled mess of mint green, as well as an inky reddish black aura surrounding a girl who stood at the middle of them all. Judging by her actions, she tried too hard not to be noticed, yet the  _ things  _ that surrounded her stuck out against the natural color of the spirit realm’s balanced state. Although the champions beside do not have the same sight as he does, he knew that they could sense the oppressive aura that radiated off of her. That, in itself, was not normal. 

  
  
  


Another thing that he noticed was how the color of her spiritual aura was different from the others. Spiritual aura is different from the natural aura surrounding a being. A spiritual aura is the very outline of the person and what their spirit consists of, which, in runeterra, is ancient magic itself. Some people who are born in places with high concentrations of magic would have their souls weaved in with magic, like magic was stitched in their very being long before they were even born. On the other hand, people who were born in places with little to no magic at all have their souls’ color the same as natural colors of the spirit realm. They are simply  _ with it.  _ In other words, those who are born with high amounts of magic are considered as small anomalies in this world.

  
  
  


The girl’s spiritual aura radiated with a soft golden glow. Straining his eyes a bit further, Aquillas could see there were four spots in the girl’s body where her spiritual aura burned the brightest. It is as though those spots were pulsing and distributing the light all over her body, like a system. That should not be at all possible. There should be only one, and it should be located at the center of the body itself, where distributing the spiritual energy should flow easily in, out, and back at the center again.

  
  


“Impossible…could this mean that…?” Both champions turned to their summoner as he hummed deeply in thought, his brows furrowed. It only meant that something had begun to trouble him. “Is it about that girl? I must admit, the first time I set foot on this building, my senses are already tingling.” Jax nudged his head toward the platinum haired girl, whose body language changed once she knew that their attention was on her. On the other side, Kayle hummed in agreement. “Something is not right about her. My gut is telling me she’s in the middle of something powerfully evil.” Jax had only shook his head slightly at her response. Almost anything evil should be executed right in front of her. It made him remember about a  _ certain _ champion who’s like that. 

  
  
  


“Whatever that may be, keep an eye out. Though I must admit that ever since the recent incidents, more summoners with uniqueness of their own kept on showing up one by one to join the League. It shames me to say that I keep becoming interested over what stories they bring to the table.” The High Summoner replied with a warm smile on his face. “Now then, we shall begin the exercises for them. They’re very eager to learn, that is what I do know.”

  
  
  
  


As Jane kept herself busy melding with the crowd, she heard a familiar noise of a portal opening. Looking beyond the High Summoner she saw five magic portals on either side of the arena; the left one blue, and to the right, a fiery red. Her heart began to race. This is it. This is where she would finally take her first steps to get to the top. Her eyes widened and shone brightly in contrast to what Aquillas saw around her. She was like a beacon of light within the storm.

  
  
  


\---------------------

  
  


Elise’s heels clicked as she walked along the hallways of the Noxian dorms. Contrary to what it is called, the whole place was actually a very, very, very huge mansion that could also pass as a garrison for the way it was designed. As if the traditional red and black weren’t enough, banners were posted outside of the estate, and the crest of Noxus was given to the summoners whose main champions were from Noxus, or if they were just born there in general. Elise found herself getting increasingly tired with all the coloration however elegant, powerful and proud the color scheme symbolized them.

  
  
  


She turned her attention to her current task at hand, which is to meet with the Grand General himself, get acknowledged, give her a simple sentence of praise that he probably told countless times to others, and make sure she keeps him satisfied with her achievements to get him off her back. Simple enough, really.

  
  
  


“As if.” She rolled her eyes and huffed as she passed rows and rows of doors, some of which probably belonged to Champions, and she could care less. If this were her of the past then she would throw herself over him like an obedient lapdog that would say yes to his every order. Run on assasination missions without a single complaint, like a good doll. Greet Vladimir with a remark about him being a stain in history’s page, or tell Cassiopeia how gorgeous she looks with that serpentine body of hers. She grimaced at the things she might’ve done had she continued to be ignorant. If it weren’t for Havanna opening her eyes literally and figuratively to the world around her, she would’ve been the next naked emperor. She reminded herself to give Jane a pat in the head later on.

  
  
  


Her long strides led her quickly to the highest floor in the mansion, where Swain’s quarters were located. From the farthest end of the hallway, she could see an ornate door that had marvelous designs and patterns engraved on the hardwood. Stopping just a few centimeters outside, Elise briefly gave a deep breath before firmly knocking three times.

  
  


Almost immediately she could sense a shift beyond the otherside before she heard a click and a muffled voice telling her to come in. Elise gripped the front door harshly, her senses telling her not to, yet she decided to anyway, to get things up and over with. She entered the room and closed the door quickly with a thud. And before her, sat the General himself, from behind his desk. Her eyes did a quick survey of the room, it looked the same as any noxian room, with the same color scheme for almost everything. Luckily her eyes were spared as she picked up some beige and green from the small plant that sat on his window, no doubt that he bought as a way to pass the ungodly boring hours. She can relate to that at least.

  
  


“So,” he began, his arms folding over each other as he studied her form, “the Spider Queen has finally roused from her crypt and decided to join the League. What a pleasant surprise.” she knew it wasn’t. Rather, he wants to find out her motive of joining. What a bastard. A respectable person, but a bastard nonetheless, just like the others. Although she could say the same for herself. She took a small second to carefully plan a reply.

  
  
  


“I am quite unsure what to think of Noxus’ sudden quietness, so i decided to come to the surface. Lo and behold, not even the Grand General has been spared by the opportunity to gain grounds with Demacia in the prestigious League of Legends. It is the first I have heard, for all nations round and wide over Runeterra to gather in Valoran. Naturally I had to go myself.” It was an honest answer though. After the bombing happened Elise had taken her slumber right after she committed her crimes. She didn’t bother to know if they knew she was the suspect. The weak are to be culled after all. And they all hid behind Havanna like the cowards that they were when they were the same ones who tossed rocks at her when she came out as the arena winner. They laughed and mocked her as if her strength were nothing, telling her that the whole game was just rigged and that they only allowed her to win because she is a girl. Elise kept her face stoic, yet the memory made her blood boil once again, thanking her past self for doing Havanna justice, however gruesome it was.

  
  
  
  


Swain hummed in reply as he read her body language. There was nothing worth noting at. What she says is the truth. He did notice that her demeanor and attitude had changed, but that may be due to time. No matter, the more pawns he has on his board, the better chances for his plans to succeed. And possibly to thwart any plan that LeBlanc may have against him. The mage was far from giving up and he could sense something brewing from afar. To that, he placed an index and thumb to his temple. It would do him no good to keep on thinking about future matters, he would just have to make do with what is in the present, for now.

  
  


He turned to the Spider queen again and rose from his seat, his coat clinging to him in a very snug manner. “Then I am in utmost joy to have you onboard, Elise. The more manpower we have the stronger our forces will be. Achieve what you can and get ready for any future events that might take place in the Institute. And lastly,” he walked past a still Elise, and held the door open for her, “Do not fail me. Or risk the consequences. That is all.”

  
  
  
  


Elise nodded stiffly at his words and warning, then walked out of his room. She kept on walking, and walking, not bothering to set her eyes on whoever she passed by, and headed straight out of the Noxian dorms. She released a long held breath she didn’t know she held, and faced the sky as she did so. The talk….it wasn’t like how she thought it would be. Their conversation went so smoothly her nerves were beginning to get skittish. Surely such a thing wouldn’t have happened unless he already sent spies behind her back..? Even so, it was over, and now she could go back to her mansion and….

  
  


Her watch had read 5:30 p.m. Had the trip to the dorms taken longer than she had thought? She couldn’t remember. She was so busy running the event over and over her head that she hadn’t noticed that they had already arrived. Did that mean that Jane had been waiting for her? Or was she still at the arena?

Getting out her phone, Elise noticed a few messages from the girl herself. It all consisted of tired and hungry and passed out emojis. The last one she sent read:   
  
  
“No one fucking told me being a summoner was so tiring DX. And these idiotic summoenrs with me aren’t helping either!” There was a picture below that showed Jane’s tired and irked face while above some sort of glowing blue circle. The image alone had made Elise smile a bit. She replied:   
  
  
“Mine is apparently better than yours. Not so excited now are we? And don’t push yourself so hard you’ll pass out. Otherwise i’m not getting you.” With a heart emoji at the end, she sent the message. Conveniently, her driver, what was his name again...ah..Kent. The boy was kind enough to wait for her and drive her back again. 

  
  
  


“Miss Elise. I trust that things went well…” he said in a serious yet nervous manner. He opened the passenger door and saw Elise sit down tiredly at the cushions, holding her phone in one hand, and the other came to a rest on her face. “I wouldn’t stay there for another minute. The scent of the mansion is burning my nose.” she did notice earlier how there were exotic perfumes in each and every corner of the mansion that her eyes became watery due to her enhanced senses. Kent took her irritated voice as a sign to not talk any further and quickly went to the driver’s seat and sped off.

  
  
  


\-----------------

  
  
  


Jane bent over and gulped large amounts of air. It was her tenth battle of the day and to say that she was tired is beyond understatement. The windows had told her that dark was quickly approaching, and as much as she wanted to stay and do one more match, the same could not be said for the other members of her team. Majority of the batch she was in had already left hours ago. They simply did not have the mental strength and fortitude that she had, hindering them from continuing forward. Her body was full of sweat, but she got the basics of it all stuck in her head.

  
  


Their first match consisted of her picking Ahri, and immediately went for the jungle. She later found out that the champion was better suited for the middle lane, as Jax had told her. He would come by once in a while to check on them, as the High Summoner and Kayle left for business matters. And since Jax has a good sense of picking out good summoners from the batch, like he always did in the past till now, he would give them tips and tricks, but mostly they fended enemy bot champions themselves. One of the teammates she had repeatedly died under an enemy tower, while some kept getting the buffs in the jungle and weren’t actually doing anything. Jane briefly wondered what would happen when they finally played with a real champion.

  
  
  


Nine more tries and she finally knew the role she wanted to be in. She debated going in the bot lane to Support, and going Jungle. She weighed her options and thought of where Elise would be in all of this. Judging by her personality itself, she wasn’t a people person. She also can clear the monster camps much faster, and she can assassinate enemies easily. As she sat down at a corner to rest, taking off her cowl as her body radiated with heat from the amount of intense concentration a match alone could bring, she decided to go with Jungle as her first role, and Support as her secondary. With a sigh, she stretched her arms up high until she felt the familiar pop of joints. 

  
  
  


“Hey kid.” she froze mid stretch when she heard a voice she grew to be familiar with. Turning her head around slowly, she came face to face with the Grandmaster at arms himself, squatting down to her level. She could feel the overwhelming pressure of his aura, she was quickly getting paler by the second as her body tried to shrink away from his presence as possible.

  
  


Jax, immediately seeing the negative reaction, stood up, backed a few meters, before squatting once again. His lamp post was firmly slung on his shoulder. Jane then noticed that only a few people were left in the arena, and they were all looking at both of them. Her eyes refused to meet Jax’s and settled for her cowl instead.

  
  


“Y-yes…? Had i...done something wrong?” she fiddled with the cloth in her hand, occasionally taking it to wipe the sweat off her face. She wasn’t used to confronting strong people other than Elise herself. While she was strong herself, with the bits and pieces she could remember from her past, she was probably out of shape by now and people would have already passed her. And she can’t even get to that  _ form _ anymore.

  
  
  


“Out of the bunch, you stuck out the most. Also the only one who went ten matches with no resting, I'll give you that. By now you probably know what role you’re going to fill in.” she was surprised by what he said. To be honest she felt like it still wasn’t enough. She needed to train more so that she could be a reliable summoner out of the training arena. She glanced at Jax briefly before staring at her hands. They were already shaking, either from tiredness, nervousness, or even excitement. Whatever that feeling may be, she was a bit scared of it. 

  
  


“I think you’re ready to head out on the normal arena starting tomorrow.” He calmly said. When it sank upon her about what he said, her head snapped to him with her eyes as wide as plates and her mouth hung open. There’s no way right? How on earth could she be ready when it has only been ten matches?! 

  
  


“You’re kidding, right? It’s only ten matches! Ten. Matches! That can’t simply be enough?!” yet Jax remained serious. Jane shook her head at him. “No fucking way. You gotta be shitting me.” she tried to stand up quickly, but her head spun from the impossible information and fatigue that the champion had brought to her. Black spots danced in her vision as darkness once again cradled her in its arms.

  
  
  


“Jax, what have i told you about this?” The High Summoner came back just in time along with Kayle to see the commotion from a short distance. He had done it, again. “I can’t help it, the kid is trying too hard. Went a straight ten match just to get the basics down. Went to her to praise her, and then she fell limp at me.” he explained as he held the girl in his arms. Kayle picked up the phone and switched it on. The picture that greeted her had greatly disturbed her and nudged the High Summoner by his sleeve. “Aquillas, take a look at this. Your guess was right.” Aquillas gently took the offered phone and checked it. Both eyebrows were raised in a surprise as his lips formed into a small smile.

  
  


He glanced back at Jane’s form, then at the picture. “No wonder she is extraordinary.” he commented, as he saw a lock screen picture of a girl running away from an exasperated yet happy Elise at a distance. It was taken from a forest. But the most unique thing about the picture, was that the girl’s hair was a dark auburn shade, and her face littered with scars, down to her forearms and legs. Looking back and comparing Jane with the girl in the picture once more, there was no doubt that they were the one and the same person.

  
  


“Jax, take her to the infirmary. Tell Soraka she only passed out from exhaustion. Oh, and tell her to get her phone in my office once she recovers, we cannot have anyone else looking at private information.” Jax nodded and picked up Jane’s belongings before heading to the infirmary. Aquillas began his trek back to his office, dismissing the ever growing curious crowd that formed from what’s left of the batch. “There was a report about an incident of a person being attacked by the black mist the day the Spider queen made her debut. Could this be a coincidence? Judging by Senna and Lucian’s report, Elise is seen holding a platinum blonde haired girl. Could this be her?” Kayle fell into step with him and began discussing the incident once they were out of earshot. 

  
  
  


Aquillas held a hand to his chin as he thought. “The possibility is too high. Though as i have said, i do not have a care for whatever past the summoner has with them. She is no exception to the rule. Although i can see a lot of summoners and champions taking advantage of this if they ever found out, i would rather have a chance to talk to her first before making any assumptions.” Aquillas’ voice was firm and final. Kayle, noticing the seriousness written all over her summoner’s face, relented with the topic and walked silently beside him.

  
  



	8. Will

_ Why why why why why why why why why why FUCKING WHY?! _

  
  


_ DIE IN A FILTHY DITCH YOU PIECE OF FILTHY SCUM! _

  
  


_ AVOID HER LIKE THE PLAGUE! _

  
  


_ WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SON?! _

  
  


NO! I DIDN’T WANT THIS!

  
  


_ JUST FUCKING DIE!  _

  
  


_ WHY  _ _   
_ _   
_ _   
_ _ WON'T  _ _   
_ _   
_ _   
_ _ YOU _ _   
_ _   
_ _   
_ _ DIE! _

  
  


_ Toxic thoughts began invading Jane’s mind the moment she became aware of her senses. The darkness around her was filled with voices that were familiar to her and at the same time could not place a finger as to whom they belonged to. She was at the same place again, in the dark ocean with a miniscule amount of light above her and the endless abyss below. The light was enough to illuminate the many hands that extended from the dark, all gray and lifeless, yet the way they reached for Jane’s body made her aware of how much alive and hungry for revenge they were. _

  
  
  


_ ‘What was that just now..? Why are they trying to reach me like that?’ her mind under the state of disorder led her to ask herself questions she could not answer. And yet, somewhere deep within her, she wanted all of it to end. Like a soul without its body, she merely floated in the center, away from the hands that wanted to drag her in the dark, unable to control which direction she wanted to go no matter how much she forced herself to. _

  
  


**_Come now, you know you’re weak._ **

  
  


_ There was a chill, crisp voice that whispered behind her ear. Haunting, old, ancient. A voice like that of an old witch. Even the laughter that echoed all around the deep and dark waters were like one. Jane closed her eyes, and refused to listen to the stranger’s voice. _

  
  


_ For a moment, everything became calm once again, until her mind was assaulted with a memory that rose from the depths on their own. _

  
  
  


_ Jane opened her eyes to a sight that made her heart and very soul crack. The familiar smell of homemade Elnuk stew, the nostalgic cold chill, the heartwood from where their home was made from. Her mother and father’s dresser, the rocking chair her father always loved, and the crimson robe her mother always wore hung in the clothes rack. She was back home… _

  
  


_ Quickly noticing the freedom to move her body again, Jane snapped her neck to the direction of the living room, hearing the achingly familiar creak of the rocking chair being used. She found her feet moving towards it, until she was greeted by yet another scene she wished could happen, again, and again, for all time. It was dark and eerie, yet for Jane, she felt nostalgic. _

  
  
  


_ Her mother was situated near the window, gently rocking to and fro in the rocking chair. Her long, beautiful wavy platinum blonde hair bathes aglow in the ever present moonlight, giving the room soft light. She wore the dress that represented her house in Noxus. One of power, grace, and dignity. Her house was much more powerful than any of the houses these days in Noxus. Jane would never see her mother in any other clothing aside from the ones she usually wore. They all had the embroidered crest of a silver Thysania agrippina, each line weaved in a sigil of ancient runes and letters. Not only was it a symbol of the house of the Contessans, but they also resembled the whole clan of the White witches, as well as the whole forest itself.  _

  
  


_ She began to hum the haunting tune that she taught to her two daughters. The song of the scarecrow. Jane stood there, within the shadows, away from the reaches of the moonlight, staring at her mother in a fascinatingly eerie manner. Her eyes glued to her mother’s face, begging for her to turn and see her daughter standing still as a statue. Waiting for her call. Her smile. Her greeting when they came back home. _

_   
_ _   
_ _   
_ _ The more Jane became entranced with her mother’s soothing voice, the more her body refused to listen without her even knowing so. The shadows beneath her bare feet rose high behind her, engulfing the walls and the ceiling. The bigger it went, the more monstrous it became. Its silhouette became slim, yet muscular. A portion of the shadow parted, forming a maw with rows and rows of shiny thick fangs, an elongated tongue dripping with black saliva. A pair of beady crimson slitted eyes appeared, its irises roaming the room once before it landed on Jane’s unprotected back. Moving little lumps of shadows turned to give its head a mane. Ears shaped like a canid slid upwards, turning to all sound it could hear. _

  
  
  


_ Shadowy wisps solidified into strong muscled hands, adorned with thickened claws, morphed and shaped to tear and destroy flesh. Its legs began to lengthen, adding more joints to give way to the body gaining rapid mass. It solidified and adjusted its size to its body, the jet black nails turning into solidified talons, shining bright as obsidian. A long thick tail swished behind its back, signaling the end to its immense transformation. _

  
  
  


_ Her mother’s hum had ended, yet Jane wanted more. Try as she might, she found herself surprised she was unable to move, her feet were firmly rooted to the ground, refusing to obey the mind’s command. The shuffling of clothing made her raise her head back up, only to see her mother right in front of her, blocking the moon’s light. The abrupt movement made Jane’s heart race, but what made her frightened was the look that she would always get when she had done something wrong. It was like her mother’s gray eyes pierced Jane’s very soul.  _

  
  


**_Stuck between a rock and a hard place? Or rather, stuck between the truth and the past? Kehehehe_ **

  
  


_ Her eyes widened as she heard multiple voices of men and women behind her. Something brushed up against her hand, yet she couldn’t move an inch of a muscle as she was stuck gazing at her beloved mother’s gaze, however terrifying they were. She didn’t even know what that thing was behind her, but she could definitely feel it. Its words rang in her mind. What could IT possibly mean? _

  
  
  
  
  


**_Don’t tell me you don’t miss me…_ **

  
  
  


_ She could feel a cold and sharp clawed hand trail her shoulders up to her ear, then to her chin. It lingered there before settling comfortably in her neck. A distorted chuckle rumbled from the being’s throat as it felt Jane’s pulse quicken in pace. It licked its rows of serrated teeth before bringing its mouth close to Jane’s ear, blowing in it gently and chuckled again as it felt the hairs on Jane’s skin rise. _

  
  


**_You’re going to have to choose soon dear...you will not be given choices anymore_ **

  
  
  


_ Jane felt disgusted as it used the voice of a seductive woman as it talked to her. She wanted to turn around and attack it….but what can she do? She wouldn’t stop looking at her mother, just like any child whose mother was taken from them at an early age, it would only be natural to want to see them again even after so many years of getting over their deaths. _

  
  
  


_ Her eyes then noticed an eerie thin trail of green fog rolling beneath her feet, rising up to her knees. The floor became unbearably cold in a matter of seconds, draining the warmth that Jane loved so much. The being behind her hummed deeply, creating uncomfortable ripples on her skin. It didn’t like how the mist trespassing what Jane considered were sacred grounds.  _

  
  


_ Her attention was brought to her mother again as Jane heard her melodious voice turn up with a sigh. Her beautiful face contorted into a frown at the sight of the malevolent fog. Her piercing gray eyes turned to her daughter, full of promise and dedication. _

  
  


_ “You have to go now, Havanna...Don’t look back and let the mist take you.” But she knew the young girl in front of her isn’t Havanna anymore. That being said, she was still her daughter. Tears formed in her eyes as Jane -was that what she is called now?- was still in her very vulnerable state. As a mother, she wanted to do everything she could to protect her only child left, and at the same time, she wished she could curse herself for putting such a liability in her shoulders at such a young age. _

_ The fog grew progressively higher, threatening to drag Jane down.  _

_ No, she could no longer stay here. Not for a long while at least.  _

_ With the remaining power she had, she softly placed an index finger in Jane’s temple, and commanded her body to sleep. She wouldn’t see her daughter for a while, but that would render the mist’s attack useless. Jane’s eyes gently closed, and in a soft glow of white light, her body faded, leaving the shadow and her mother behind. _

  
  


**_Is it a good idea to not let her experience what would happen? She would’ve called out to_ ** **ME** **_again…?_ **

  
  


_ Yet Elizabeth would not endanger her child’s sanity even further. For she could not imagine the unforeseen dangers her child treads through to live through the Prophecy. Elizabeth gently shook her head, unfazed by the glare the shadow gave her. _

  
  


_ “We both know it's not time yet. Why must you persist? Or did the mist get to you as well? The look on my daughter’s eyes answers it all! She isn’t ready yet!” Her voice rose in pitch, making the shadow shrink a little in size. Even it knew not to play with her temper. Realizing her mistake, Elizabeth sighed, and said in a more calmer tone, “she isn’t ready yet...give her more time. That’s all we can do.” the shadow paced about in front of her, it’s steps thudding and clearing away the mist that condensed into a thick green fog beneath them. Elizabeth could feel her strength being taken away just by looking at it. _

  
  
  


**_WHAT TIME do you mean?! Look at the mist and feel its undying want to destroy everything! Give her time, you say? Take a glance at the mirror! You’re the only one left out of the whole village who has not succumbed to the mist yet! Why do you have to wait for it to take you before she spurs into action? Never forget! Without you, she would be a good for nothing husk! Her body may be alive, but her soul is not! She wants you all back, but more importantly YOU! You are also key in this whole mess! As have you who started it all!_ **

  
  


_ The lashing tongue she received from the shadow made her resolve quake. Everything it said is true...not one bit of a lie. Maybe her daughter wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place if she hadn’t passed the cursed on instead. Curse, prophecy, they were all the same for her. But now isn’t the time for her to doubt herself. She -no, all of them- needed to see through this till the end. Even if it meant the world would be shaken by what needs to be done, she will be able to stare at them head on, and to finish what that damned Founder started. _

  
  
  
  
  



	9. Stakes and Consequences

Pacing to and fro from up in the foyer outlooking the doors of the mansion did not help calm her nerves down one bit. Elise, her eyebrows furrowed and her breathtakingly perfect lips morphed into a frown as she scanned her phone for the upteenth time. She had received no texts nor calls whatsoever from Jane since their last conversation earlier. And now the darkness that blanketed the mansion’s interior had convinced her that something might have happened to her beloved. Tapping her heels furiously on the carpeted floor, her mind thought of things that Jane might do for her to be this out late. The lock screen from her phone told her that it was already past midnight, yet the doors remained unmoving. Surely the arenas are closed by now? No summoner would be foolish to walk around alone in a place full of all sorts of creatures within the Institute. Although they are under the protection of the contract they had made, that won’t stop some champions from doing as they wish, especially champions like Evelynn.

  
  
  
  


Elise halted her furious tapping at that thought. Then shook her head. Evelynn of all champions would know immediately that consuming Jane would prove to be difficult. Her...what would she call it...conditions..? No, not that. Nevertheless, she would repel Evelynn from doing anything harmful to her without even knowing it.

  
  
  


_ But still _ ...where is she? Elise tried calling her phone several times but it always went to her voice mail. She then tried to reach out to her through their bond, but she can’t feel that warm presence that Jane gave off whenever they would converse within their sacred shared space. She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but she loved Jane down to the core. On some occasions where she was in the mood, she would tell the younger mage to come over and sit on her lap and just hold her there. She needed to keep face with everyone else to protect the only thing she truly cared about. Once she made that mistake, Jane’s identity would be uncovered, and she knows for a fact that it would pose a lot of problems for her. And she already had a lot to begin with.

  
  


This whole ordeal with Jane and the prophecy she carries with her made Elise’s head hurt. She couldn’t wrap a finger around it, the knowledge she acquired from the girl herself proved to be just the tip of the iceberg. She would have to skim through some of the millenia old books she had gotten from the Isles. From what she gathered, the place was once a beautiful island filled with the deepest secrets of magic as well as a treasury full of artifacts from the Celestials themselves. Elise wanted to help Jane relieve her of her misery already, she just never knew how. And that was what greatly irritated her. To know the problem, yet still had no clear solution to it.

  
  


With a sigh, Elise ruffled her crimson bangs and thought out a plan. Jane is smart enough not to go out on dangerous nights. That would mean she is still in the Institute. Since she isn’t answering her calls on all platforms, she’s convinced the summoner has passed out somewhere, no doubt from pushing herself too hard. “That would mean she’s still in the rookie arena…” she thought, her gaze cast at the ground. The chances of her being seen by other summoners are high, and as far as human compassion can go -Elise assumed- they wouldn’t just let her crumpled body lay on the cold hard floor. If that weren’t to happen, then Jane would still be there. If not...then her best bet would be the infirmary.

  
  
  


“What a pain…” Elise mumbled in annoyance as she began to descend the stairs. Worry was evident in her features as she replaced her heels with knee high boots. Using a little bit of her magic, she summoned large sentry spiders and ordered them to secure the mansion while she was gone. “Guard the perimeters and attack all those who come close to the borders. I will be back with...my...with Jane.” she isn’t sure why she hesitated at that part. After all, her arachnids knew what had transpired between the two and took up to Jane calling them her own, as much as it embarrassed the spider queen, for some reason. Their beady red eyes glowed against the darkness, their mandibles clicking and clucking in obedience. With a satisfied smile in her face, Elise took her favored robe from the rack, and went outside and closed the door firmly behind her back.

  
  


The dark that greeted her was one of familiarity and welcome. A strong wind blew from the opposite direction, hitting Elise in the face like a welcome friend. The trees swayed along with their leaves, the insects making a melodious harmony around the whole forest, making it the right home for anyone who doesn’t like being disturbed. Inhaling the air that Elise had grown to love, she began her trek across the dark woods, and into the city capital.

  
  
  
  


The lilac skinned healer held a troubled face as she went to one of the many rooms housing the sickly and the wounded. She saw Jax earlier carrying a young woman who had exhausted herself beyond understanding in the rookie arena. By what he had explained the girl had pushed herself on a back to back ten match without even taking so much as a break. “When it comes to Jax...every single time of the year…” the starchild rolled her eyes and sighed as she entered the room where the girl was situated. What concerned her though, was something much more complicated than that, although a new summoner pushing ten matches in one day is already absurd enough to hear.

  
  
  


No, what made her frown was…

  
  


The eerie green mist that came out of nowhere and began to grow and thicken in density on the floor, right below the bed where the girl with the interesting colored hair lay. Eyebrows furrowing, Soraka chanted a small spell that immediately made the offending mist disperse. “What an odd one.” Soraka narrowed her eyes at the still passed out mage, questions began forming in her head. With expert ease, she checked for the girl’s pulse. 

  
  


Check.

  
  
  


She then proceeded to check her magical pulse, as was customary to all summoners. Closing her eyes, Soraka began to concentrate, clutching the girl’s cool wrist in her warmer ones. With practiced ease, she felt the subtle shift of the environment. She noticed the young mage’s pulse thrummed strongly within her fingers. When she opened her eyes though, she was in for quite the shock.

  
  
  


Soraka was expecting a calm stream of magical energy flowing throughout the room as she had always seen, but this was far different than what she had imagined. Her eyes widened when a mass of red, wild, and unrestrained magical energy disrupted the natural flow of magic and seemed to gather around the unconscious girl. The overwhelming pressure that suddenly came over Soraka had her shut her eyes and revert back to the physical world in shock. 

  
  
  


Stumbling a bit, she held onto the nearby table for support, an unbearable headache threatening to turn her mood sour. And she hadn’t had any sleep to start off with. Shaking her head slowly, she turned her attention to the still girl. “What in the heavens happened to you?” her voice trembled. She would have to have a talk with Aquilas tomorrow morning. Something doesn’t seem right with whoever this summoner is, and the more she stayed in the room with her, the more she felt herself in danger. But still, she was here - _ she came here _ \- to once reforge,  _ fix _ , order. Many years have passed since then, and now, she chose to heal those who continue to fight against the chaos and destruction upon Runeterra.

  
  
  


Sighing, she forced her fight and flight instincts to a corner of her mind and began to get some potions and medicine to help the girl. As she began to mix the green potion and painkillers, her eyes were drawn to the girl once again. Unlike Ashe, whose hair was of a pure white, this mortal’s hair color is a bit different. It had a certain shine to it that whoever told her it was white would be immediately told off it wasn’t. Her eyes then trailed to the girl’s face. Sometimes her eyebrows would twitch and furrow before returning to their perfect position. Soraka wondered how her eyelashes didn’t get in the way of her daily activities. She considered hers to be a bit of a hindrance at times, to the point that she called it a bit of a nuisance in her job.

  
  


Then her lips caught the starchild’s attention. As reddish and plump as they were, they would sometimes contort into a small frown, opening slightly, before a sigh was released. Based on the rising of her chest and troubled looks, Soraka deduced that the young mortal is currently having a nightmare. The bed started to creak as she watched her shift slightly from her position. A low groan escaped her lips, and thus, Soraka moved.

  
  


Holding the finished potion in her hand, she carefully and silently moved towards the side of the girl’s bed. Taking a chair and softly putting it down so as to not make any sound, she sat down comfortably, waiting for the mage to stop moving. For a moment, Soraka hesitated to touch her again. The headache was gone, fortunately, but it would take a lot of magic to make her head squirm like that. It is as though it did not want her anywhere near the source of it, which greatly confused the lilac skinned champion. Magic, by itself, had no will, no mind, of its own. Magic can be controlled, but it cannot act by its own force. Which led her to more questions that she couldn’t answer, which is another surprising thing for her. 

  
  
  


“I swear to the gods above, you’d think i would know everything by now.” she rolled her eyes at the ceiling, before focusing on how to make the girl drink the medicine. Some summoners repeatedly complained about how it was bitter, Soraka could only retort that it healed them nevertheless, and should be grateful instead.

  
  


Reaching out, she gently placed her hand underneath the girl’s head. As Soraka thought, not only was her hair very silky smooth, she also smelled appealing to her. She took a deep breath, not letting her eyes wander any further down the summoner’s body, although the outline of her toned abdominals from within her purple tank top proved to be eye catching to any who would notice it. Soraka shook her head a bit harshly, wondering where such thought came from. She was only genuinely curious about the girl, that is the only reason she believed.

  
  


“Here, drink this.” she whispered quietly. At the sound, the girl’s head leaned a bit to her awaiting hand which held the cup of medicine. “It will help a lot with the nightmares, and it will help you restore your health and energy back in the morning.” Soraka saw emerald orbs peek within eyelids before they closed again. The young mortal’s lips met the cup as Soraka tipped it gently whilst helping her head up by a bit. She had to admit, this girl had to be the most unique summoner she had ever helped, aside from that demoness’ of course.  _ Her _ aura may be different, but this one was way out of proportions to just let go of quietly.

  
  


She could feel her gulping the medicine down without so much as a cringe, which again, surprised the healer. It only proved that her medicine isn’t really that bitter, but just those pesky summoners being too picky with their palettes. The medicine quickly went down to her charge’s throat, and she couldn’t help but watch the way the liquid moved underneath her skin. Truly a fascinating individual. She placed her head gently back in the soft pillows, watching for any violent or at the least bad, reactions. And yet nothing came. In fact, her face contorted into one of relief. The girl breathed in deeply before releasing a contented sigh. Soraka placed the used cup in the small drawer beside the bed before resuming her watch over the now mysterious girl. Soraka would’ve loved to roam her eyes over the girl’s body more and take note of things that would put her out of the ordinary, when she felt a very dark and looming presence that spoke high volumes of animosity behind her.

  
  
  


Trying her best not to disturb the now slumbering summoner, she stood up to face the newcomer who mysteriously entered the room without so much as a sound. Even if they didn’t create any disturbance, the door would have signaled her that someone is entering, as cold air would've come in from the air conditioned hallways of the infirmary. Soraka was greeted by a figure draped in a rich crimson robe, elaborately patterned by golden webs all over and across it. Soraka could tell that the figure is feminine judging from the body type alone, and by the boots she could see. The figure’s face was covered by a hood, yet her menacing crimson eyes glowed beneath, piercing, wanting to kill. A low growl escaped from the newcomer’s throat. It rumbled like a monstrous creature, and at that moment, Soraka felt sweat drip down from her forehead. She did not like this one at all.

  
  


\-----------------------------

  
  


She could feel the pull getting stronger the more she neared the institute grounds. Just as Elise had thought, Jane had passed out somewhere in the building. She had already checked the newbie’s arena, and the only thing left there were faint traces of Jane’s scent, particularly in a corner, where the scent was at its strongest. With the help of the pull as well as her scent to guide her, Elise slowly treaded to the other side of the arena and into a set of double doors. Her eyes roamed around as she walked, noticing that the arena was generally much smaller than the main one. She also noticed ten magic circles in the center as well as the bleaches leading to a second floor. Elise reimagined the moment where Jane took the picture she sent earlier. Probably in one of the farthest circles is where she took it. Elise focused her attention back in front and hastened her pace, eager to see her lover again.

Elise opened a door, cool wind brushing her face and almost knocking the hood off of her. She fixed it promptly before turning in the direction of the scent and began walking toward it. 

  
  


She examined the hallway, which is rather boring, considering it is nothing but white. White walls, white tiled floors, and a light blue ceiling. There weren’t too many doors, but it helped when she would pass by one and it had a nameplate next to it. She would have to come back later on to check the entirety of the building. It would greatly please her if she found some spots in the building where she could calmly have her own peace, and possibly hang out with Jane as well.

  
  


Elise took a long sniff in the air, and was thrilled to smell her lover’s rather strong scent. Maybe a few more doors down the hall, and she would finally find the infirmary. Her mouth was already watering by a bit, but it was replaced by a happy smile that was hidden beneath her hood. Not seeing Jane for a few hours had her become a bit cranky and even a bit irritated. The calming aura that Jane exuded had helped her soothe the nerves she never knew got worked up. Ah, now she’s getting excited again. Elise fastened her pace, Jane’s scent getting stronger and stronger.

  
  
  


After passing a few more doors, she finally arrived at a door with a nameplate of the Infirmary beside it. Elise smirked, feeling the cold doorknob within her hands, signaling that it had been a few hours since someone used it. She turned the doorknob a bit, hearing the internal mechanics click ever so slightly with her sensitive hearing. She quickly slipped inside like a shadow, and closed the door with another soft click. She was greeted yet with another hallway, this time though the doors were only a few feet away from the other, and everything generally smelt sanitized. As was the norm for any medical wing. She allowed her nose to lead the way and crossed the length of the hallway quickly like a gliding silhouette, her boots not even making such a sound, as if she were a phantom.

  
  


Jane’s scent had led her to the farthest door down the hall. Elise’s lips curled up into a triumphant smile as the scent practically pooled beneath the door and leaked out of the small crevices. She was about to grasp the knob, when suddenly, something else caught her attention.

  
  


Jane's scent was so strong that it almost blocked out another. This one was way different than Jane's. It consisted of something unique, flowery and something akin to serenity. Jane's was strong, minty and coated by the vanilla scent Elise had given her. Her mind processed the information and ultimately concluded that there was another person inside the room. Like a light switch, her mood turned dark, seething and malevolent. Her instincts told her to dispose of any unwanted people near her beloved, and to unite with her once again.

  
  


Elise could feel her fangs protruding, giving her just enough time to slip in the room unannounced. What greeted her was a sight that made her blood boil, and the magic within her fingertips sizzle in fury. The four spots in her back where her hidden sets of arachnid limbs itched, wanting to come out and to make her transform into her horrid arachnid form.

  
  


Her mouth opened wide to reveal teeth that were gnashed together in fiery anger. She saw the horned lilac healer Soraka eyeing her beloved silently as she just finished making her drink whatever it was that Elise just saw. For whatever reason she did not want to deduce, the starchild still held Jane's head gently even as the liquid had already been given to her. Elise could feel her eyes strain hard, burning holes in the back of Soraka's head. She could feel her eyes turning into an even brighter shade of crimson the longer the healer sat next to Jane.

  
  


As if becoming aware of her presence, the healer turned towards the door. And upon seeing Elise, she stood still, rooted at the spot. Yet the spider queen did not let up, and used her presence to instill more pressure against the starchild. Crimson orbs met amber ones, staring down at the other. For a few tense moments, Elise dared the other to move. If the other woman did, she would strike.

Unfortunately, all Soraka did was relax her tense pose, but was still wary enough around her. She spoke,

"Who are you?" Her tone was one of suspicion.

"One you need not know." Elise replied evenly, almost failing to hide the growl that came at the very end. The healer replied with a sigh, then averted her gaze back to the sleeping girl. The action alone led Elise's anger to skyrocket again. This time, she let her growl be heard.

  
  


Soraka side eyed the newcomer as she picked up the used cup. "The girl was brought here by Jax when they found her lying down on the cold floor, passed out." She began to explain. Elise shifted her eyes towards Jane, and for a moment, they softened at the sight of a contented look in her face. Little by little her anger dissipated, leaving behind a small smoke of evident annoyance. Slowly, her feet made their way at the foot of the bed, her perfect lips, hidden beneath her hood, rose to a small smile.

  
  


Soraka sensed the sudden change of mood, and contemplated whether or not she should tell what had happened earlier. She mentally shook her head. She did not know who this champion was. Giving information on that high level would only put the girl at risk. Instead, she mindfully placed the bottles of medicine and potions back to their proper cabinets. Silently, she watched from her peripheral vision, a slender gloved hand reaching out of the mystery champion's robe, to softly caress the summoner's face, and watched, with a hint of curiosity, as the summoner's face leaned in against the champion's hand. How she knew that the newcomer was a champion, quite easy to tell actually. Her aura is different from the mortals. The way she carried herself, and her general presence, told everyone who sees her she's a champion. The champion's hidden face then turned to her.

  
  


"Leave us." Her voice was one of order and superiority. Cunning, and commanding as well. But this is Soraka's domain. She is the one giving orders  _ here. _

  
  


"You are the one stepping in  _ my  _ domain, champion. It would be right to respect who's in charge of the place." Soraka retorted, narrowing her eyes at the champion. Elise scoffed, getting wind of the healer's intimidation and threat. Although she supposed, lowering her pride a little won't hurt. She practiced it a long time ago, now it didn't hurt as much anymore. But she also didn't expect the one horned healer to step up unintimidated by her tone.

  
  


Sighing deeply, she lowered her voice. "Apologies then, healer. Could you kindly leave us?" Her eyes returning to their original state, she waited for Soraka's reply. On the other hand, the lilac skinned healer was taken aback by a bit with the uncharacteristic apology coming from the veiled champion. Soraka thought she would be like the others. This one seemed interesting, to go out of their comfortable and arrogant zone to apologize. And judging by the accent and the style of clothing, she must be a noxian. Noxians are full of pride, much like demacians, although if she said that out loud, she might just bite the bullet, as the others would say.

  
  


"Since you did apologize, and you asked, I  _ suppose _ i can let you off the hook for now." Soraka said with a troubled sigh. She didn’t want to deal with any more confrontation than her tired body can handle. She picked up her staff laying propped up in the corner, took one last look at the girl, then at the champion, who was still staring at her, and headed for the door. 

"I will come back in the morning to check on her." The healer informed, before opening the door and heading out. Elise silently watched her leave, relieved to see that a potential threat had gone away without needing confrontation. She swiftly headed for the door and locked it. She scanned the room for any other surveillance cameras, yet none stuck out for her. Instead, she found the main light switch and flipped it off, casting the room into cool darkness. Convinced that there were no prying eyes, she let her hood fall, revealing raven black hair and crimson bangs, neatly brushed aside to frame her magnificent face. She undid her robe and folded it cleanly on the arm rest, revealing a black strapless top that showed off her well toned midriff and fair complexion, partnered with gothic pants with leather straps, finished off with her black knee high boots. She hovered over Jane’s unconscious form, staring at her in a loving manner. She brought the chair closer and sat on it quietly, before sighing in exasperation.

  
  
  


“Quite the troublemaker, as always.” she reached out and ruffled Jane’s mane like hair. The action caused the girl to stir a bit, her body shifting towards Elise instinctively. That elicited a small chuckle from the spider queen. She retreated her hand to take off her gloves, noticing a small whine coming from the younger woman. She shook her head with a smile, setting aside the garments. Leaning in close to Jane, she planted a firm kiss on her forehead. “One day you’re really going to get in trouble,” she sighed sadly, “and i won’t be there to save you.”

  
  
  
  


\-----------------

  
  
  
  


Morning came faster than the eye could blink. Jane knew the moment she came to her senses that she wasn’t in their mansion. The tough mattress as well as the rough sheets that rubbed against her skin had made her uncomfortable enough to wake her fully. It seemed as if Elise had truly spoiled her and fed her picky-ness. 

  
  


The first thing she had seen upon opening her eyes was the dim outline of a white ceiling. And that it was very, very cold. The room was dark, but not one to be alarmed of. Since Elise’s preferred conditions were dark and cool -not  _ cold _ , mind you- her eyes had adjusted to the spider queen’s demands. She had also been taught to feel through the environment with her eyes closed. That way she could navigate through the dark without ever needing light nor sight.

  
  


“What the hell? It feels like i’m inside a fridge or something.” Jane whispered to herself as she shivered, her tank top not doing anything to help her against the cold. She shook herself vehemently before looking around the room. White walls, a nightstand, some shelves that might contain something, judging by the smell emanating off of it, as well as the white tiled floors. And she also wouldn’t forget that the air conditioner was blowing off directly in her left, which was why she was so cold in the first place. Just acknowledging it there made her realize that her legs had already become numb and possibly frozen. 

As her senses were becoming more and more fired up, so to speak, a familiar scent had made itself known to her nostrils. Jane inhaled deeply. That rich, heavily arousing smell making its way to her lungs. With a hint of vanilla and exotic body oils that she knew and came to love, Elise, she knew without a doubt, is here. The familiar scent as well as the presence had more than comforted Jane enough.

  
  


She moved her head to the right and saw a silhouette outlining the chair. With black pants that held on to well defined legs propped against another chair, Jane’s eyes trailed upwards. Her ears perked when she heard light snoring, accompanied by the slow rise and fall of Elise’s chest, an arm situated upright to support her head. Now that her mind cleared and logic had made its way to her brain once again, Jane sighed lightly, the events of last night flooding back to her mind.  _ Elise must’ve been worried about me… _ she thought, and placed a hand to her face while the beginnings of embarrassment crept its way to her cheeks. How in the world is she going to wake Elise up without getting herself murdered in the process? Judging by her body clock, it must be somewhere near 5 am. Elise  _ murders _ anyone who wakes her up before 10, and last time she was lucky enough to still have her head intact!

  
  


Distraught by what she was supposed to do, and ruffling her hair one too many times, she did not realize the spider queen rousing from her own slumber. Blinking once, then twice, senses were immediately tuned to the ruffling noises in front of her. Her ears heard the fast beating of Jane’s heart, which meant the girl was already awake. She could sense the distraught in her scent, though, and wondered why. “What if she kills me? Maybe i should just go back to bed, and then wake up later on...but fucking hell this bedsheet is so itchy.” ah, Elise smirked to herself while still feigning sleep. The girl was worried she would make her other infuriated with her mornings. Glad to hear that still stuck with her. A certain time in the past, Elise remembered, she was woken up by an excitable Jane jumping up and down on the mattress, demanding that she come with her for their morning walks. Well, that day both of them learned what patience actually meant, one way or another.

  
  


A plan that involved tormenting the young mage made its way with a terrible grin on Elise’s face. While Jane was lost in her dilemma, the noblewoman quickly pounced on the unsuspecting summoner, pinning her back flat against the bed. Jane yelped in surprise before feeling her wrists being held above her head harshly, while another cold hand snaked its way to her stomach. 

  
  


“Shh, don’t let me know about your plans, dear.” within the darkness she saw the faint glow of Elise’s eyes, mischievous and daring, looking below her emerald ones. Jane blushed, tried to look away at the irresistible charm, suddenly feeling the room turning warmer. Elise hummed above her, and suddenly pinched Jane’s thigh, her nails digging deep on Jane’s pants. “Ouch! What was that for?!” she almost yelled, but paled at the look given to her. The thought about Elise being worried came back to her full force. Jane looked away again. Then, in a smaller voice, said, “I’m sorry for worrying you…” 

  
  
  


Elise knew that Jane knew a simple sorry would not suffice. She was up all night worrying about the girl’s safety. And knowing that the black mist would actually find and attack her anytime at anyplace did not ease her soul one bit. Punishment is punishment.

  
  


“You do understand what might happen if this goes on, Jane?” Elise straddled the poor girl, who flinched at the tightening hold she had on her wrists, it felt like her pulse would burst. She knew Elise was only looking out for her, and admitted that this time she went too far as to push herself without the older woman around to oversee her. 

  
  
  


The spider queen leaned against Jane’s neck and breathed in heavily. Images of what she saw with the healer last night while Jane was out cold made the coldness she felt melt away into one of fury. Another reason why she did not want Jane to pass out while not around was precisely because of that. She wouldn’t let anyone within a few feet to be all touchy with what was hers. She wouldn’t let any scent rub off of Jane. NEVER.

  
  


“I’ll never do it again, I promise!” she felt two, sharp pointed fangs directly on her skin, waiting to be pierced. Feeling them sent goosebumps along her arms and nape. As a consequence to whatever she did that went over the line, Elise would always bite her and the pain never lessened each time she did. Sometimes she would even inject her with tiny amounts of paralyzing neurotoxins, just to make sure the girl wouldn’t be bouncing around all day, especially while she’s gone for longer hours away from Jane.

  
  


Elise chuckled breathily against soft and smooth skin. Then without any warning, sank her fangs deep into the supple flesh. Although the summoner was a tad bit smaller than her, for her size she was very ridiculously strong. Elise used her weight to steady Jane’s body that began to jerk in response to the pain of being bitten by literally the spider herself. She could feel the hiss that threatened to break out into a howl of pain as Jane closed her eyes shut and ground her teeth until Elise could hear tiny bits of it cracking. If she were the one to be bitten by those strong jaws, ah, she remembered the way they almost snapped in her face. That would be another world of pain for her to experience, she can imagine. Within seconds of biting into her flesh, she began to taste the rich blood that flowed and pooled around her fangs.

  
  


Elise went crazy for it. She  _ craved  _ it.

  
  
  


No amount of it should be gone to waste. Truly, when that rich life source poured out of Havanna’s body on multiple occasions, each time Elise frowned in disappointment. The first time she had gotten a taste of it, she was immediately obsessed. Never did she realize until that moment how blood had such an effect on her. Sometimes she also felt  _ rejuvenated _ just by drinking Jane’s blood alone. Of course, after that she began several experiments to determine if any kind of blood would have the same effects on her. She had tried men, women, children, even the elderly and the horrendous  _ creatures  _ looming about in the outer forests that almost surrounded Noxus. Yet none had satisfied the aching in her gut.

  
  
  


Although she told Havanna about it later on, Elise used whatever wrong she did as an excuse to get her blood. Along with a few lashings and thrashes, they both came to an agreement that Elise would only do it if Havanna did something wrong, or had crossed the line between their agreed set of rules. Elise took whatever she got out of it, but then…

  
  
  


Havanna  _ died _ .

  
  
  


Elise lost many,  _ many _ , things, all at once. She didn’t even know where to begin the list of things that Havanna did just by meeting her, it was as if she lost the whole package itself. And she lost it while in her grasp. While  _ drinking coffee in front of each other. _ The frustration and anger for such a thing to happen was completely off the charts for Elise. She tore off her whole mansion in grief because of it. And now that she had been given another chance, she wouldn’t waste a single drop of her.

  
  
  


Once the crimson liquid touched the tip of the spider queen’s tongue, she began to lick. Elise immediately felt the goosebumps rising all over Jane’s body as she felt the girl suddenly stiffen. Her hold on the mage’s wrist began to loosen the more she engrossed herself in the girl’s blood. Then, the licking turned into gulping. She hadn’t tasted Jane’s blood in a long while, she hoped the girl wouldn’t mind if she took more than what she had asked for. After all, she was only doing what they had agreed on. 

Jane squirmed in Elise’s grasp as the older woman continued drinking her blood out. Okay, she was very wrong, and deserved that agreed punishment, but why does it feel like she’s going to pass out again? 

  
  


“Elise...that’s enough.” she said weakly while tapping the noxian’s back softly to get her attention. She could feel her hot breath still against her skin, which Jane shivered at, but at least the aggressive gulping stopped. The fangs stuck inside her flesh were beginning to numb the pain she felt in her shoulders, or maybe Elise injected her with a sedative toxin. She wasn’t sure. Soon enough, Elise began retracting her fangs slowly out of her flesh, yet Jane could still feel the lingering effects of pain as she felt them sliding out. She felt her tongue glide against her skin in one fluid motion, then sealed the wound with a kiss.

  
  
  


“It seems you forgot what we agreed on.” The goosebumps in her spine came back in full force when Elise’s mouth breathed dangerously close to Jane's ear. “I… needed to make sure you  _ never _ forget.” Sometimes, Elise was a bit too much, especially when she surprisingly wakes up by herself in the mornings. Jane, at times, would wake up to the spider queen peering down at her in the covers, as she was the kind to snuggle up to anything that had softness in it. The woman would have the slyest smirk when they stared at the other for a long while, before Jane realized what was happening.

  
  
  
  


“I told you I didn't forget. I was just...trying too hard.” Jane felt her wrists come free as Elise’s hand come down to trail her cheek, and began to pepper her jawline with soft and smooth kisses, each one drawing closer to her own lips. Her other hand came up to caress the girl’s arm, to which Jane responded with a gulp. How she wished to feel the cold once more.

  
  
  


“Trying too hard to get killed again, hmm?” smooth manicured fingers trailed down her neck, then to her collarbone, had not allowed Jane’s goosebumps to cease, but she was starting to get riled up. The soft retort had made Jane blush, looking off to the side. Elise’s kisses almost reached up to a corner of Jane’s lips, when she suddenly took a different direction and opted for her neck instead. She could hear a low rumble of disappointment within the girl’s throat, a tad bit happy that she began catching on. Her other hand began roaming different parts of Jane’s body, yet she purposely left out the places she knew would set the girl off. She only needed her to itch, and it would stay on her for the whole day. That, is the second part of her torture.

  
  


“It’s not like that,” the summoner tried to resist, her voice on the verge of cracking under the spider queen’s kisses becoming more heated. “I wanted to hurry and start...ranking...already.” the strength in her voice wavered, as if Elise’s attacks on her neck had sipped up the energy within her body, rendering her unable to speak any further, her mind slowly getting clouded with pleasant feelings. Her hands rested themselves on the noblewoman’s smooth and curvy waist, feeling her body shiver before resuming her activities.

  
  
  


The action caused a warm feeling to spread from underneath Jane’s fingers, spreading all over Elise’s body. She couldn’t be any happier to have that feeling of being warm next to the younger woman, all she felt was the bitter cold that the room had given her. She found herself humming from within her throat, a small smile gracing her lips as she took in all of her scent. She pressed her body against Jane, teasing the already embarrassed summoner even further. 

  
  
  


_ Knock knock _

  
  


Two heads whipped at the direction of where the sound came from. On one hand, Jane was glad for the distraction, and the other, Elise wasn’t happy at all. The healer had come back with terrible timing. With a sigh, she slowly detached herself from Jane’s body and fixed herself. The younger mage got up and placed the cowl over her shoulders, dreading the exposed mark that Elise left her with. She would have to refrain from using tops for a few days. She brushed her fingers over it from above the cowl, and winced at the stinging pain. She made a face and stared at Elise.

  
  
  


“You really just had to, didn’t you?” yet the older woman only replied with the fakest smile she had ever seen given to her by the spider queen. “Whatever do you mean?” ah, now she’s playing pretend. Jane rolled her eyes and shook her head instead before heading for the door. 

  
  
  


She waited for Elise to put her robe on, as she knew the noxian didn’t like showing face to anyone who didn’t really have any business with her, then opened the door. She blinked her eyes as a horn greeted her face first before fixing her vision into the lilac skinned champion. Amber eyes peered up at emerald ones in confusion, before Jane watched them come to realization.

  
  


“I see you’re awake now.” looking behind her, Soraka raised an eyebrow at the dark room, then back at the summoner, “May i come in…?” The lingering question in her voice snapped Jane out of whatever haze she still has left over the events of earlier and stepped aside to allow the champion in. 

  
  


The healer flipped the light switch on to see everything else placed properly back where they belong, except for a chair occupied by whoever it was under the crimson robe. She didn’t bring her staff with her as she only had to check the summoner for any after effects of her medicine before letting her go. Now that she can view the young woman clearly, with the girl’s cowl on her, a thought had popped in Soraka’s head. This summoner looked like she would be fit to live in a jungle, or a forest, with that wild unique hair of hers and her build especially. The way she held herself is one of confidence, yet at the same time she’s trying to hide it, like, with a shy or vulnerable facade. She couldn’t quite put a finger as to the girl’s confusing choice of signals. What is she trying to convey…?

  
  
  


Jane was beginning to sweat under Soraka’s gaze. She could feel Elise becoming irritated and impatient, and if her looks can’t already kill, her stature towards the healer was. “Uh, good morning to you too, miss Soraka...am i fine to go about the day now?” Soraka blinked at the address of her name, feigning embarrassment at being caught red handed. She could also feel the robed champion burning holes through her head from the side as well. With controlled breathing, she nodded at the question.

  
  
  


“Yes, you can leave if you wish to. Though I suggest you take the day off to regain whatever strength you have lost. Since it’s probably your first time summoning and battling in the rift, your magic reserves tend to be depleted if you don’t control the amount you give in the summoning bond between you and your champion.” She glanced at the robed champion, and she swore to herself she heard a hiss under that hood. Staring at the summoner again, she asked, “the medicine i gave you last night is a pretty strong one. Do you feel any after effects? Most of the summoners and champions that received the same treatment have rather...unique testaments to it.” 

  
  
  


Jane raised both eyebrows and tried to feel anything worth telling, but nothing negative came up, just that her taste buds are extremely tingly, otherwise, there were none. “I don’t feel anything bad...but i do feel much more livelier.” Both of them turned to the other occupant in the room who seemed to have groaned at her testament. She sent an apologetic look in response. “Well, if that's all you can report, then i must say that i’m happy with your body’s reaction to it. You may go now if you wish.” She could see the delight form in the summoner’s eyes as she gave a smile. “Thank you so much, miss Soraka!” The honorific did as much to make the healer embarrassed. “Just Soraka is fine. One way or another I won’t wish for us to meet in the infirmary again.” she gave a smile at the summoner as she began to haul her backpack over her shoulders. “Maybe, if i’m lucky enough.” Jane chuckled. She gave a look at the other champion, which prompted her to get up and head for the door. “Thank you again, Soraka.” With a bow, Jane and Elise left the room. 

  
  
  


A few moments passed, until let free a wind of breath that remained stuck in her throat till now. It felt as though she was trapped in a room full of predators. Knowing that the summoner had this abnormal kind of magic, and the other champion continuously putting pressure on her had almost made it too much. Although it looked like the young mage wasn’t fully aware of it, and thus might have little to no control, she sensed that she was truly kind. 

  
  


\------------------------

  
  


“Really though, i feel like i can go without sleep for the next few days or so.” Jane whispered as they sat at the far end booth of a quaint cafe, far from the more popular streets of the city. It had already been past eight, good thing Elise had come prepared to douse the raging appetite of her summoner. But still, she’s irritated by Jane’s recklessness, and now that they are in a city full of conniving wolves and  _ crows _ , she believed that someday Jane will really find danger. She sat in front of the girl, pulling her hood down.

  
  
  


At the very least, she’ll give her credit of finding a good place where they can spend their time undisturbed to an extent. There were wooden partitions that were high enough to block the view on the other side of it, and the one the windows were heavily tinted since the cafe was sitting in front of the sun’s direct rays. Although they would have to be more careful of what they say, in which case anything important that needs to be said can be shared in their link instead. 

  
  


Elise sighed, placing a gloved hand to her temple. There were telltale signs that a headache would soon form if the events of today won’t leave her head. “How many times have i told you  _ not  _ to do anything reckless? Haven’t you heard what Soraka told you? Put your energy into  _ resting _ .” she emphasized the word so deeply Jane flinched at the word. But there are only some things Elise can understand without her telling the rest. Jane gave her a small smile. “I can stop to take small rests if I could, but that would mean I would have to expend all my energy.” Elise raised an eyebrow at that.

“Give me a day to tell me everything, honestly. You not telling me anything is something like a false sense of suspense,” she sipped the tea that she had ordered and was surprised at the remarkable taste it had on her tongue. “And potentially puts us in blind danger. Hmm… this cafe has good taste.” She really didn’t like going into something unprepared, with no prior knowledge of what’s even happening in the first place. Jane hummed. “I will, just give me more time for what I'm about to say to make sense. Everything is going to fall into place, maybe you’d even get it first before i even tell you.” she chuckled lightly, biting into her bacon and pancakes. 

  
  
  


Elise sighed, crossing both her arms and legs. How this girl managed to get herself in a deep jumbled mess was just something that sticks to her like how plants stick to soil. “By the way, Elise.” Jane said after swallowing and ingesting a whole pancake in one bite, which Elise found rather unsettling. “If it really isn’t just a dream my mind made up, then i’m already eligible for normal games.” A perfect eyebrow raised in utter surprise.

  
  
  
  


\------------------

  
  
  
  


As it turns out, they need to have a scheduled match and not just barge in looking for one. Fortunately, there was an early match that got delayed because one of the summoners had not made it in time, and it was the perfect spot for Jane, as the blue team needed a jungler. They were actually surprised when, trailing behind the newbie, was the new champion everyone had been talking about. They were so eager to try her out in their matches but all of them got flat out shut down by the spider queen. That, and the look she gave them as they walked close just terrified them enough for them not to advance any further. Jane gave Elise a look from within her hood.

  
  
  


“I didn’t know you had that many suitors already.” She chimed in silently, earning a scoff from Elise. “You would make your move before I’d do so.” She retorted. “Fair enough.” she shrugged. Upon approaching the lobby though, they immediately regretted it. For impatiently leaning against the wall, was no other than the flame haired champion of noxus, Katarina herself. And her face looked like she woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Jane bit her tongue from saying curses while Elise clicked hers in disdain. “Just the hotheaded person we didn’t need..” she mumbled under her breath.

  
  


It is against the rules for a champion to hide their faces before a match, so Katarina seeing her had made the hot headed noxian’s face neutral, yet her gaze remained trained to the pair as they settled on the second circle. “I'm actually quite shocked you didn't melt under the sun.” She sneered in an irritated voice as she and her summoner settled on the middle one. Jane kept her mouth shut, and allowed Elise to take over the situation. 

  
  


The crimson eyed champion smirked at her coolly, keeping her face unreadable and her sights forward, to the opposing lane. It seems her opponent for the match is Warwick. “Tell your sister she's gorgeous with that serpentine body of hers." There, she said it. It was funny how the assassin's face boiled into a color as much as her hair. Twin blades snapped up in position, aimed at Elise's neck. Her lips curled up into a sly smirk, seeing Katarina's teeth gnashing as her eyes tried killing her. 

  
  


She shrugged, "What's the matter? Yuumi got your tongue?" For an assassin that relies on swift and precise -therefore calm- movements, her hot headedness really must be getting in the way whenever topics such as family come up. In the ways of Noxus, any and all weaknesses are to be exploited, preyed upon. In the end, they are all perfectionists who strive to win over the General's favor by crushing their own. Elise's mind wandered...would she be like the rest if Havanna hadn't come? Throw herself in the fire to keep the house warmer for someone else?

  
  
  


"Try me and I will fucking lodge these blades in your throat." Katarina almost growled, her summoner becoming agitated as she had no control over the ensuing argument. The threat only brushed past Elise's shoulders however. The spider queen placed a hand on her hip, tilting her chin a bit high, scoffed at the furious noxian in front of her. 

  
  


"Quite the threat, assassin. But don't forget," she leaned in as close to Katarina as possible, her shadow towering over the assassin's. "I can melt steel with my poison, I'm sure I won't have a hard time liquefying that damaged face of yours.” Katarina swung her arms up high, bringing her blades downward, yet Elise remained rooted to her spot, unmoving. A confident smirk was plastered on her face, yet the stare that she tossed at the red head was one meaning to kill. As the blades were about to connect within an inch of Elise’s hairline, they were all transported into the battlefield. 

  
  
  


\------------------

_ ‘How can you outrun a dog who smells blood like it’s honey? The actual fuck.’  _ Jane complained in their sacred space after they took the dragon sneakily under Warwick’s nose. But since their teammates are dumb enough not to help them, the Wrath of Zaun had now known their location thanks to the activation of blood trail. They dropped the league’s communication space between their teammates since all they get are continuous babbling and arguing instead of focusing on their own lanes.

  
  


“I’m more than impressed at how we quickly adapted.” Elise said as they recalled back to the fountain, taking all the magic damage items they could get out of the money they had.  _ ‘Hey, what’s this oracle lens thing? I haven’t picked this one up yet. What does it do?’  _ Her summoner piped in, allowing Elise to pick the dainty red object up. She gave it a once over. “Oh oh! That’s a very important item for invading enemies and destroying the wards they placed!” The shopkeeper informed them. “Hmm...i do think we need this, we’ve been running around jungle camps after all. I still think it’s quite dangerous without the added vision. Your call,  _ Thysania. _ ” They began practicing calling Jane by her alias, as it was far more fitting. She could tell her summoner was thinking on the other side of the bond.

  
  
  


_ ‘Yeah, i think we should.’  _ The spider queen nodded and headed off to her jungle again. At times Jane would open the league comms just to hear anything worthwhile.  _ “Where the fuck is our jungler? Gank my mid!”  _ Elise raised her eyebrows as she took down her wolves in her arachnid form. Jane was more than appalled to hear Katarina’s summoner yell at them for no reason at all. The enemy laner wasn’t even there!

  
  


_ “‘Scuse me miss. Why would I gank a losing lane on 1v1’s, and the laner isn’t even there?”  _ on more than multiple occasions, whenever they would find Katarina respawning in the fountain, each time her face contorted into one that of anger. In all honesty, both of them felt sorry for her, Elise being more sardonic. It wasn’t her that’s the problem, but her summoner. The girl was so indecisive that it affected their bond and overall strength to finish off Ahri. and it didn’t help that they were also internally arguing. She could hear Jane sighing,  _ ‘I’m glad i didn’t set my expectations too highly. Come on, we’re stealing that Herald.’  _ The spider queen only shook her head and proceeded to wait in the bushes, lying in wait as they watched Warwick dwindle down the Herald’s health. 

  
  
  


After successfully stealing the Herald and actually killing Warwick in the process, they roamed his jungle and managed to take all of his blue side camp, to which the wolf roared out in anger upon reaching the camp. Jane advised Elise to take a red control ward and placed it near the bushes of the blue side camp, and killed Warwick  _ again. ‘Is this really easy or are they going easy on us?’  _ Jane asked suspiciously, guiding Elise across the map and into the dragon pit. They ignored the ridiculous pings of the losing bot lane and went ahead and started attacking the dragon. “We’re just that good, Hraa!” The champion grunted as the dragon’s fire attack brushed her shoulder, singing her skin by a bit. Suddenly, the feeling of being watched intruded Elise’s senses.  _ ‘Well need a red ward down here. I feel like we’re about to fight. The enemy mid laner’s missing.’  _ Jane informed her. Elise tsked and dodged the dragon’s blast, rolling under it and planting the ward on the ground. The dragon’s health is slowly becoming dangerously low, Elise becoming increasingly aware of Jane’s split decision. Basically while in the rift, their relationship is one where Jane becomes the brains and Elise the body. But of course, the summoner never minded and was open to any suggestions, which allowed their bond to strengthen and flow freely. For a few seconds, the heard sizzling sounds before it revealed a ward getting disabled near where they are at.

  
  
  


_ ‘Open to any suggestions here!? Bot lane’s coming up, that damn dog is probably behind the wall pit, and Ahri’s on her way and is also probably hiding in the bushes on our right. Kata’s halfway coming over, and our bot lane just died...great.’  _ She could feel her summoner flipping her hands up in frustration. The more they stalled the dragon the more they were putting themselves in risk of getting it stolen and getting shut down. Elise was busy dodging it’s attacks to form a coherent of thoughts, leaving them vulnerable to any outside interference. “Unmute the comms for me dear.” Elise stopped stalling and began attacking the dragon, throwing her magic back and forth without depleting her mana reserves. She felt a block in their connection to the league comms flow back through freely. 

  
  
  


_ ‘You can go in now, I'll be the sights.’  _ Jane quipped. 

  
  
  


_ “Ashe, do you hear me?”  _ Elise said, transforming into her arachnid form and letting her spiderlings attack the massive dragon.  _ “We do. The enemies in bot lane are moving up in command to intercept you and steal the dragon. I’m sending an eagle in the southern side bushes. What do you propose?”  _ Her calm voice swept over the comms that immediately quietened the growing unrest of their summoners. Both Jane and Elise were actually surprised a Freljordian would answer them easily. But maybe that’s because she learned to cooperate with the other champions regardless of where they were from. Come to think of it, her and her summoner may be losing lane, but they were the calmest of the whole team. 

  
  


_ “Right. Fire your arrow at the small bush near the mid lane when Katarina is in range of her skills, then intercept the incoming enemy bot lane.”  _ the spider queen ordered. She was replied by a small nod of agreement from the Avarosan queen, then she turned to communicate to the other noxian. She trapped the dragon with her silk, trapping its wings completely and watched it fall to the river with a giant splash. With her mandibles, she drank the last potion Jane had bought and prepared to finish the being’s life. 

  
  
  


_ “I don’t really need to tell you anything now do i?”  _ The face of noxus growled as she hastened her face and ran it down to their jungle and waited for Ashe’s signal.  _ “Whatever, fucking insect.”  _ Now that had made Jane twitch as Elise felt power coursing through her veins, full of anger. She was muting them on and off for insulting them nonstop. If it were only possible to friendly fire in the rift, then she would have Elise web up the noxian and let her spiders suck the foul mouthed assassin dry. 

  
  


_ ‘As much as i would like to, you need to focus on the bigger picture. We’ll leave it for later.’  _ Elise replied, sensing Jane’s thoughts directly as the image popped into her mind. Jane groaned and resumed focusing her magic into Elise’s attacks.  _ ‘You’re not even classified as an insect…’  _ her summoner grumbled.

  
  


_ “I’m in position now. Firing the arrow.”  _ Ashe reported. Elise nodded to herself and began attacking the dragon relentlessly, preparing her smite in case a contest where to happen. They could see the arrow from afar soaring across the river, directly coming into contact with the targeted bush. The large arrow collided and stunned the awaiting Ahri, which was then followed up by Katarina blinking in front of the dizzied champion, slicing her chest open before finishing her off with a grand use of her ultimate. The successful kill was broadcasted throughout the rift, before Katarina rushed off to help their bot lane. Ashe and Braum intercepted Vayne and Morgana, and if she knew any better Elise could have warned not to use Katarina of her ultimate as Ahri was a guaranteed kill already. 

  
  


_ ‘What the hell is she doing?! She could’ve helped us get this thing killed!’  _ Elise growled at Jane’s anger riling her up. She could have, but her summoner made her go without thinking. Both of them could see how restricted Katarina’s movements are. It’s obvious her summoner is holding her back. Warwick’s bloodtrail had activated, letting them see a thin red mist pool up below them, and a mark appearing on both them and the dragon. No doubt he is full health, while they are in their last one fourth. 

  
  
  


Suddenly, they heard a loud howl across the dragon pit’s walls. As if Jane was in the rift herself, adrenaline began rushing in her ears, prompting a rush of newfound energy traveling in the spider queen’s veins. She felt her smite grow in power. In a second, a wave of pure power burst down straight at the dragon’s chest, before a massive maw appeared from the vanishing dragon carcass. Elise widened her many eyes, momentarily stopping still as Warwick leaped and reached for her. 

  
  
  


_ ‘Elise!’  _ Jane shouted, before the noxian felt herself being lifted to the air, her massive body hanging from a strong and thick line of silk. Jane strained to take control of the older woman’s body just enough to knock her out of her stupor. She did not know why Elise had shut down at the sight of Warwick, of all timings, but fuck her she wouldn’t let Elise get mauled by a dog.

  
  
  


Warwick skidded in the middle of the river as he missed his target, his massive elongated mechanical claws narrowly missed Elise’s face. 

  
  
  


_ ‘Snap out of it! We’re killing this thing!’  _ Jane roared through their shared link. Elise blinked, shook herself, and stared at the snarling transmuted champion. She cast the lingering thoughts that crept inside her head and followed Jane’s lead. She moved her body to and fro before detaching from the line of silk, sharpened, piercing legs and poisonous fangs outstretched, meeting Warwick’s claws and fangs head on.

  
  
  


The brute reared his right claws and attempted to slash Elise’s abdomen clean off, yet the enhanced effects of Jane’s adrenaline made her reaction time faster than ever before. She jumped away and sent a strongly made web, effectively trapping the angered wolf. Elise then reverted back to her humanoid form, firing another shot of web that stunned him this time.

  
  
  


_ ‘Let’s finish him off!’  _ Jane roared as Elise grunted in approval. With her magic, she summoned a spiderling that carried a magical bomb that detonates upon getting close to any enemy. The spiderling burst, coating Warwick in its acidic poison magic. Warwick howled in unbearable pain as part of the poison splashed in his right eye, the acid began burning its way through his flesh.

  
  
  


Elise showered him more with magical projectiles, hitting him square in the chest. The greatly angered wolf began tearing through his binds despite the pain and successfully tore off the web that rendered him motionless. Using the last of her reserves, Elise transformed back into her arachnid form, summoning with her four smaller versions of the spiderling she summoned earlier, yet no less vicious and venomous. 

  
  
  


The spiderlings surrounded Warwick and began biting through his legs, injecting him with their powerful charged paralyzing toxin. Elise pounced on him, trying to bite his head off, yet Warwick held two of her legs out, struggling with the weight of the spider queen and the spiderlings that were making short work of his now rapidly numbing legs. Elise chuckled, her distorted voice making it more dreading as she saw the fear hidden under the anger of the wolf’s red eyes.

  
  
  


“A rabid dog, “ Warwick’s left leg gave out, and fell into his remaining right. His strength was slowly being sipped by the damnable leeches that were biting on to him, tearing, burning,  _ destroying  _ his flesh. It’s as if he felt the events of being transmuted all over again by Singed. He snapped his jaws in protest to the faith he would soon fall to again.

  
  


“Is a dead dog.” Elise reared her head back, flexed her menacing fangs, coated them with a thick amount of poison, and pierced Warwick’s neck. The action quickly made her prey convulse, his arms dropping to his sides, his weight getting heavier before Elise carried his whole body with her mandibles. She dropped him dead in the river, with her spiderlings quickly climbing on top of the dead champion, dissolving his flesh with acid and poison, but the system had taken his body in a dispersal of light, and left behind disappointed arachnids. 

  
  
  


Returning into her beautiful human form once more, Elise smirked victoriously as the announcer voice declared, “Godlike!”


	10. Seed

Despite the best efforts of the enemy team to push back Elise and Jane in their own jungle, the enemy nexus had already crumbled against Ashe and Katarina’s attacks. The announcer’s voice rang out their victory as Jane felt the rush of adrenaline and power slowly fading. Her connection with Elise was unlike anything they have felt before. It’s as if they shared the same body and mind, two different souls melding into one. She did notice that the more they are in sync, the more energy she consumed. The powerful magic behind Elise’s attacks was amplified with her own, a problem she began to see if the match went for longer than their 45-minute play. A newbie match that lasted for that long is enough to surprise the onlookers. And one of them being a newbie that played the champion that just debuted not even a few days ago was a remarkable spectacle. Needless to say, both Jane and Elise had gotten the most honors in their team.

  
  
  


“Holy hell that match was...on another level than the bots.” Jane and Elise each came back from their respective teleport circles, battered, a bit bruised and depleted, but victorious nonetheless. The tired smile that Elise threw in Jane’s direction as they walked beside the other was mirrored by a worn-out thumbs up. On the other side of the arena, the enemy team walked down quietly, some of the summoners actually fell off the stairs and were accompanied by the institute’s staff to the infirmary. Jane couldn’t see Warwick anywhere, perhaps they rushed him off as soon as he could step out of the Rift. What they did to him was more than enough to kill him after all. If the Institute’s system hadn’t taken him out in time he would’ve died to the acid and poison. 

  
  
  


“My first victory in the Rift and you’re already better than most of the ones we fought.” Elise commented as she took out a spare handkerchief from beneath her robe and gently wiped the debris on her face. It was a good thing that her attire had changed to her default battle dress once she teleported to the battlegrounds. It would trouble her a lot if she went to battle wearing a sleeveless top with her treasured robe on. Jane bit back a blush at the compliment given to her. Although she was already tired from the match, it didn’t feel enough to satisfy her want for more victories. Something from that match had roused the deep feeling of wanting to win again. Like a growing itch.

  
  
  


“You’re not bad yourself. Did I hold you back in any way? I noticed most of the champions were stiff in their movements... I hope I haven't done the same.” Elise pulled up her hood once again, prompting Jane to do the same with her cowl.” The other four remaining champions and their respective summoners were far too occupied with questions from the growing number of people that went to see the match. By the time the MVP of the winning team had been called out, both of them were far too gone out of the rookie arena.

  
  


“No. Not in any way at least. I don’t feel restricted, in fact, I felt more nimble and energetic.” The way they casually made conversation with the other whilst disappearing and avoiding bumping into anyone in the crowd came with years of practice. Elise used the knowledge she memorized about the arena to steer them away from any more noise that buzzed in her ears. Thinking about the way she fought with Warwick, and how she almost cost them her shutdown gold, she admitted it was her mind that held her back. She remembered how the fight between her and Havanna broke out. To think that she would remember that particular imagery was careless of her part. 

  
  
  
  


Once more, they were back in the white hallways almost devoid of any summoner or champion. The white marbled tiles reflected back a red apparition that seemed to glide along the floor like a phantom, followed by whoever it attracted. Her summoner’s soft footfalls matched with her nonexistent ones, however impossible it may have sounded to anyone who saw the spider queen wearing boots. She led Jane across many floors above their level, to a certain room on the fourth floor. The door they paused on looked like it hasn’t been of use for the past week, the nameplate beside it labeled as a lounge room. Placing her hands on the cold doorknob, she pushed the noisy door open. The echo reverberated throughout the whole floor, yet no one was there to hear it. 

  
  
  


“Found another saferoom? You’re certainly moving around.” Jane sighed as she took off her hood and plopped down on the cold sofa. This lounge room was a bit different and more spacious than the others had Elise found. A green sofa with a few smaller ones sat in the center of the room with a big round wooden table. In front of the sofa and table was a large tv screen, and under that was another mini cabinet housing a DVD player. An L shaped counter lay on the side of the room, acting as a mini kitchen, with a sole coffee maker occupying the top, with a mini-fridge on the other side of the counter. The door to the toilet room was at the far back near the windows, and to its opposite right was the air conditioner. Elise firmly locked the door and gave the room a once over. It was the perfect room for just the both of them. The only downside was that their only means of escape, had someone ever chased them and they ended up in a room such as this, are the windows. And since they were on the fourth floor, if there aren’t any stairs outside, then they would have to jump all the way down at ground level. 

  
  
  
  


She took off her robe and set it at the marbled countertop and sat at one of its high chairs. She appreciated the fact that the room is slowly growing on her, noticing the little details that made it special, unlike the rest. This particular one had a small lamplight hanging down from the ceiling, and the wallpaper isn’t white, for once. It had on an Acacia haze color, bringing warmth to the otherwise cold room to life. It almost acted like a mini private room, and it even had a grey carpet under the sofa and table and ended at the front of the counter. The atmosphere was a cozy one and she liked it. And she rarely liked something she saw for a short amount of time.

  
  


“Thanks for finding this room for us, Elise. This place lowkey rocks.” Jane’s muffled voice led Elise’s eyes to her form. Her summoner had her face down on the sofa and laid still for a few minutes. It almost looked like she was about to fall asleep again. Elise decided to ask how  _ she  _ was. Earlier in their fight against their enemy jungler, she felt herself drawing power and magic from Jane as if she was turning it into her own.

  
  


“How was the match from your perspective? Does it feel any different from what I felt?” she propped her elbow against the counter and laid her chin on her hand, waiting patiently for the girl’s answer. For what she cared it might’ve taken a lot out of the summoner. 

  
  


For a few still moments, Jane didn’t answer. Moments later, her face leaned to the side, facing the t.v. “It felt as though...like I’m in a command center or something.” Her voice hesitated, unsure of how to express her experience into words. Elise crossed her legs, waiting for her to finish. She always found it endearing when Jane tries her best to let her see what she sees. She definitely helped a lot when Elise began practicing shuffling things into perspective.

  
  
  


“It’s like... I’m in someplace, probably an out-of-body experience, but I’m aware of it. I’m  _ awake _ . I can see something flowing in different directions, probably magic. I don’t know. It wasn’t like this when we were piloting bots. This match, it felt so much  _ alive _ . It’s exhilarating and nerve-wracking at the same time…” The way she phrases things, the spider queen understood. She didn’t undergo training with bots like the other champions did when they first debuted. The thought of someone else controlling, becoming one with her other than Jane, felt intrusive, almost alien, to her. Being a champion meant a lot of her history, at one point, will be shared with whoever she partners up with, and she would not allow them to see the part of her that she becomes whenever she is with Jane. Thinking back to what Jane said, a part of her also felt what the summoner described.

  
  
  
  


Jane turned towards the ceiling, her hand slowly reaching up as if to hold the light shining above her. “It’s like I’m a part of you somehow...but at the same time, I’m not the one controlling your body. There were some things that were blocked off in your mind though. I’m assuming that was your history. I didn’t bother looking behind that wall, pasts don’t matter much to me anyway…” She murmured the last part to herself, although she knew Elise heard it otherwise. The spider queen hummed in thought. She felt the same way in their connection while they were out farming monster camps. There was a part in Jane’s mind that she couldn’t access. She saw the flow of magic pool around a massive wall, something that wouldn’t budge nor crumble even with the amount of magic slowly flooding it over the course of their game. But unlike Jane, she wanted to see what her past held. She wanted to know how she became so cursed that the Black mist followed her wherever she went. Why did she revive again after so many years? Why was she living in the White witch’s forest? All noxians know there was a demon living there. The news had even reached Swain’s ears, yet unlike the demacians, he chose to let the demon roam free. Even after what she did to Havanna at the time of the bombing, all she did was listen to what she had to do to ensure that she came back to life again. Even then, where was her family? Did she grow up all alone in the forest as Jane? What about her family as Havanna?

  
  
  


The amount of mystery circling around this girl, even after many years, is still yet to be fully uncovered. But if Elise tried to break down those walls, it would ruin the relationship they had with one another at the expense of satisfying her own damned curiosity. And Elise has had enough of Jane being taken away from her again. 

  
  
  


But then again, it is impossible for someone not to be curious about the other’s past. She may be something else entirely, but her mind is still that of a human. And humans, whether for good or bad, are always drawn to curiosity.

  
  
  


“Do you perhaps want to know how many people I’ve been in a relationship with before you?” The smirk was already evident from her tone alone. A patch of silky platinum blonde hair rose up, parting to reveal Jane’s face with one brow raised, and the rest, deadpan.

  
  


“Seriously? That’s what you’re going to tell me out of all the things you can say about your past? And no, I don’t want to hear it.” The way they make jabs at the other is already a small proof of the bond they share. It flows through smooth and evenly, without any dams blocking it. The easy atmosphere is something Elise could not find anywhere else in Noxus, nor will she ever find it anywhere if it isn’t with Jane. 

  
  
  


She laughed at the poor retort Jane threw at her. Somehow, she was never good at verbal fights. She chooses to let that person know what she feels straight on, lacking shame and having thick skin. The first time they met in the Pit, Havanna called her a bitch in red stilettos. When they met again at the forest, this time as Jane, she told her she was a savage spider with a huge ass. While that was somewhat supposed to be an insult or a compliment -Elise never really knew the answer of- it irked her a bit that the girl had no control over what she was saying. She really needed to teach her manners about talking. She’ll get killed with that kind of voice and attitude towards others sooner or later. 

  
  
  


“By the way,” Jane sat up, took her boots off, and set them behind the sofa, “won’t other summoners partner up with you? You’re a champion now after all.” She was staring at Elise with a question in her face. Now that the topic had been raised, she had no reason not to answer truthfully. She shrugged her shoulders and walked over to the sofa. “I choose who I partner with very carefully. Wouldn’t want to risk uncovering who I really am aside from being a bitch in red stilettos after all.” She sat on the carpet with her back between Jane’s legs, seeing her summoner’s face twist into a ridiculous look, before blushing and looking away. She must’ve remembered that vague part of her memory.

  
  
  


“Don’t make me remember that. I’m a savage at that time!” She then proceeded to bury her face in her hands. Elise looked up and gently removed Jane’s hands from her face, to see her beet red. “Sometimes you’re soft, and sometimes you’re just plain cold-hearted. You’ll never cease to surprise me, do you?” She stared at her beautiful emerald eye, seeing her own in them. Gently, she held Jane’s hair in her hands and twirled them in her fingers. Jane replied with a smile and softly messed with the spider queen’s crimson fringes, eliciting a happy chuckle from her.

  
  
  


“Of course I won’t, dummy. It’s one of my many charms.” Jane proudly said. And for a moment, Elise saw a side of her that greatly resemble Havanna, the part of her that never went away. Even after all these years, she still retained that endearing personality. And the smile that was always reserved for her only. It made her chest swell with pride, knowing that someone like her would turn out to be soft and kind, and then cold-hearted and relentless to the rest of the world. And she gets to call Jane hers. Who wouldn’t feel a sense of accomplishment at that?

  
  
  
  


“And I love those little bits about you.” The sentence caught Jane off-guard. It was rare for the older noxian to voice out her affections. Soft fingers gently caressed her cheeks as she lost herself in her ruby orbs. She returned the gesture by cupping Elise’s face and leaned down to kiss her forehead. She felt the disappointment in the spider queen’s aura. “What, you think I’d kiss you in the lips? HA!” She teased her as Elise gave her a glare, then somehow, her lips morphed into a small frown. “I did not expect such things, you’re much of a coward to initiate intimate moments after all.” She knew the older woman was just baiting her in so she could do the act. Poor Elise though, she had already become immune to her tricks. The disappointment in her tone was too thick that it had given her intentions away. 

  
  
  


“Nah, you just want me to kiss you.” She stuck out her tongue in a playful manner before she completely messed up Elise’s hair before getting up and heading for the mini-fridge. Said woman clicked her tongue before reaching for a comb in Jane’s backpack. “You are so unbearable sometimes.” She groaned as she rummaged around till she got the item. She watched the younger woman pull out a carton of milk and chugged it down quickly faster than straightening her hair. 

  
  
  


“Careful you don’t choke on your own milk.” Not even a second after she said it, Jane began choking. Ah, revenge does taste sweet. “WHAT?! That is so gross Elise, you low belter!” Again, Jane’s face lit up like a well-ripened tomato. Elise always relished the fact that she won their arguments and banterings.

  
  
  


\------------------------------

  
  
  


“Ready to go?” Elise said as she held the door open for them. After what transpired earlier, they basically chilled around and watched t.v, while Elise hogged the sofa for herself, resulting in Jane pouting and sitting on the carpet instead. Now, the girl had on a worried face as she kept on looking and fishing for something in her pockets. “Is something wrong?” she asked, a tinge of worry in her voice.

  
  
  


“No...just, I can’t find my phone…” She began checking in her bag but to no avail. A nagging feeling in her gut told her that someone may have gotten it when she collapsed on the floor. But that should be impossible, right? Elise told her that Soraka said that Jax brought her to the infirmary, so he couldn’t have missed it. Then an idea formed in her head. “Try ringing it for me?” Jane closed the door with a click as Elise fished out her own phone. All of her calls from last night were still unanswered. Placing her cowl firmly over her, the dreading feeling washed over like a cold wave. There were so many important things on that stupidly small device. 

  
  
  
  


“Don’t be panicky, I’m ringing it up.” They both waited in the hallway, hoping that whoever had gotten a hold of Jane’s phone, of all people or champion, wouldn’t be a noxian. Elise paused her breath when her ears perked up to the sound of  _ someone  _ actually picking up the call.

  
  


She silently gestured for the other girl to come over and listen intently. No one was responding on the other side of the line, making them both unsure of who would talk first. Cold sweat began forming at the base of Jane’s neck, looking at Elise with uncertainty. Should she..?

  
  
  


But before either of them could speak, they were interrupted by a voice they least expected on the other line.

  
  


“Please come to my office to retrieve your summoner’s device. I would imagine her worry right about now.” The elderly kind voice on the other side of the line chuckled, baring no malevolence or any sketchy idea in his tone. Yet Elise held her guard, unfazed by it all. For some reason, she became irritated at the fact that he had something that belonged to her lover.

  
  
  


“We’ll be there shortly, High Summoner.” She replied in a clipped tone before ending the call. Her face became void of emotion, if he saw anything on Jane’s phone, their cover was as good as gone. Jane was silent beside her, surprised and a bit unnerved. But more importantly, she was upset. Jax or the High Summoner himself would have slipped it in her bag or her pockets. Instead, they decided to keep it so she could go to his office and retrieve it instead. He already made an impression on her that he is not to be trusted.

  
  


“He could’ve placed it on my fucking backpack while I’m out cold, or asked Jax to bring it in the infirmary for me. What the hell..?” All of her good mood was gone, disappointment and mild irritation clouding the better judgment in her mind. He must’ve already seen the lock screen picture on her phone. If it came to that, she just had to hope that whoever saw it aside from him would keep it to themselves. Worse, they could sell that information to potential enemies.

  
  


Elise wondered the same thing and assumed that he wanted to meet both of them, for whatever reason. She explored every part of the situation in her mind that would lead to any hidden threats or agenda, and honestly, she could name a few that would end very badly for them. She could feel Jane’s distress within the center of her mind as well as frustration and a hint of betrayal. Hmph, for being the High Summoner, what he just did was beyond her. In any case, they should immediately go over and retrieve Jane’s phone.

  
  


“Let’s go. The sooner we get there the sooner we're done.” Jane nodded silently at Elise’s wisdom. Leave it to the calm and collected spider queen to get her frustrations out of the gutter. She sighed as they began the long walk to the High Summoner’s office, on the 5th floor of the grand arena.

  
  
  


\-----------------------

  
  
  


Aquillas did not know what to expect when they both arrived and sat in front of his desk. His champions were beside him as they currently have no matches to be in, but it is as if his life is constantly being threatened by their gazes beneath the hood of their robes. He had only made small talk with the recently debuted champion, Elise, and from his observation, the spider queen is not a threat to those who aren’t hostile to her. Yet this side that he came to see today was completely different from what he saw that night. Her crimson eyes were bright and shining with animosity directed solely at him. So much so that it made his skin tingle warily of her.

  
  


On the other hand, the rookie whom Jax carried to the infirmary has an aura of frustration and a hint of disappointment. Did she feel like that because of him? Perhaps. Whatever reason it may be, he was surprised that the malevolent aura that she inhibited had greatly decreased. Now it was but a small flame coming from the depths of the girl’s soul, like a small campfire. Nevertheless, the threat he felt just from her being there had not gone away, just as how he saw her in the rookie arena. 

  
  


Beside him, Jax was thrumming his fingers against the pole of his lamp, humming quietly, his attention to the two women in front of them. On his other side though, Kayle acted as though she was about to go to and do battle with them, the intensity in her gaze and the way she held her sword gave way to how tense she was.

  
  


The atmosphere was tense and unfriendly, mostly on Jane and Elise’s side. It hadn’t even been a week and they were already in this dastard situation. Jane’s senses told her that they weren’t a threat, but her mind refused to give in to their welcoming aura. High Summoner Aquillas’ warm gaze had unnerved her, probably because no one else had the capacity to look at her like that aside from Elise herself. Becoming lax under the presence of such a person would only yield trouble later on, and she just doesn't trust anyone easily. It didn’t help that one of the champions beside him was giving off an aura of animosity, particularly Kayle. Jax, for some reason, she couldn’t read, yet his body language told her that he can take them on at any time. She couldn’t even sigh without all three of them looking at her.

  
  


And sighing is a habit she can’t evade once tense situations get the best of her.

  
  
  


“I give.” Jane groaned slash sighed. Immediately, all eyes were on her. She reached up and took off the hood that hid her conflicted features, emerald orbs going even against Aquillas’ grey ones. “Why didn’t you just decide to hand it off to Jax or Soraka while I’m still at the infirmary?” Her eyes clouded with confusion scanned his face for answers. Beside her, Elise remained quiet, arms folded neatly against the other, and eyes trained at the High Summoner. Nothing in this situation should need commenting on, not that she doesn’t care. It’s a bit obvious that the head of the Institute is interested in Jane, and not her. 

  
  


For a moment, Aquillas weighed each answer and the outcome that would come from it. In the back of his mind, he knew he would never get their trust, such is the life of a summoner and a champion. Although he grew to an old age bearing wisdom and intelligence and knowledge of decision making, against someone born to be unpredictable, even he can commit mistakes.

  
  


But to answer her question, he merely replied, “I am merely interested in unique individuals like you, and what you bring to the table”

  
  


Jane swallowed a lump in her throat that wanted to force itself right out of her mouth. The words of the High Summoner rang in her ears like an echo which went further down to the depths of her mind. Surely, if that’s how he answers, then down on the bottom line he wanted to be the headmaster so that he can oversee up and close the kind of person these uprising summoners are aside from their title and nobility, bringing forth the richest of stories from all over the continent. Like wine, he waited until the ripe time came for it to be drunk upon, and relished in satisfaction with how it came out to be. And from there on, he would gather the most sophisticated liquor with these ridiculous methods of processing, and have it brought to his table to be compared upon.

With nervous sweating came out a dry reply, “Can’t say I’m flattered, but I take what I can get.” She matched his neutral gaze with her heated ones, the feeling of adrenaline rushing in her veins as the smell of competition compelled her lips to form into a teeth locked smirk. She caught on to what he was getting at.

  
  
  


With a simple communication with Elise through their mind link, and confirming that the Spider Queen is okay with this, Jane’s tense structure faded into a lax posture, her shoulders limping while her arms crossed themselves over her knee. Her gaze never left Aquilas’ own, yet it is as though he felt her change into an entirely different person all at once. Her aura flared into a much more controllable level, one that boasted of confidence and caution, testing waters then getting back out all too quickly, before dipping back in shortly after. This development from her greatly interested Aquilas as he never met anyone who was unafraid and respectful of him at the same time. He felt as though he were being judged by the Spider queen in silence as well.

  
  
  


“How about I tell you a story, and you can pay me back with my phone?” This new situation caused a gradual excitement to bubble inside Aquilas. No matter what age, he always has this twinkle in his eye for stories told by those who experienced it themselves. Though it may require huge amounts of trust for that person to uproot something that caused them to be who they are today, he knew that that wasn’t the case. Even the attention of his champions were drawn to whatever she had to say. 

  
  
  


“We can agree to that.” With an eager smile, the High Summoner unfurled his hands and pulled a drawer underneath his desk. In his hands, the silver device hung loosely and was then placed at the center of the large hardwood. He regained his position again and prompted the girl to start.

  
  
  


It wasn’t easy for her to share something she holds sacred her whole life. Jane guessed that since Elise was here and that she wanted to know about a little bit of her past, or what her mother used to tell her, she might as well do it for the sake of her. Lame excuse to barter for her phone, but it’s better to just get it done and over with. Besides, there was already this kind of air that what was spoken in this room will remain in this room. 

  
  
  


With a deep breath, Jane broke eye contact with Aquilas and stared at the windows of the sun beginning to set over the horizon. “Long ago, there was once a small tribe of mages that fled their homeland after savage raiders went and ransacked them. Crops, animals, children, men, women...taken, murdered, tortured.” Jane inhaled again, her senses beginning to sharpen as she felt Elise looking at her directly, intrigued, interested in her story.

  
  
  


“Among those who had fled was their village chief, who swore to take revenge upon them for capturing and killing his one and only daughter. With whatever remaining strength and mana they have left after defending their tribe, they all sacrificed themselves and bore the tyrant leader of the raiders a terrible curse.” She could hear it now, her mother’s voice narrating the story she told to Havanna and her sister countless times, their eyes peering up in wonder as to how such a coldhearted story would end differently than its intended route.

  
  
  


“The curse was so great that it left a long lasting scar into the land! That night, the leader of the raiders foresaw a terrible future waiting for him and his crusade. And so, accepting the fate that would soon befall him, he led bloodshed and terrorized the lands he would soon call his own. In the process, his crusaders had fallen for their captives and bedded them, and soon realized his small savage band had become a family of its own.” With a mystifying voice, Jane found herself engrossed in the story telling that she forgot why she began telling it in the first place.

  
  
  


Elise found herself enamored with the way Jane had begun telling her somewhat story somewhat past. It might just be a story told to them for countless generations, and yet she knew that every story had a sliver of truth in it. She focused on Jane’s eyes, they looked as if they were in some faraway place, yet they shone brighter than she had ever seen before. It felt as though she was meeting her again for the first time since she had become Jane.

  
  
  


Jax was a bit into the story yet he didn’t fully invest in it. Although he does find it surprising how the girl would suddenly change her attitude towards them as if nothing happened. The one thing he can take note of was how the girl was so deeply into her own story. On the other hand, Kayle felt a nagging in her gut, that told her she heard this one before. But from what memory serves, it was nothing but a myth that the neighboring towns and villages between Demacia and Noxus told the common passersby so as to not pillage their lands every night. 

  
  
  


“When the ringleader found out, he was deeply infuriated with what they had done. In front of their own lovers and relatives, he ordered them all to be executed, bringing much more blood and wounds to the land. It grew and spread like a plague, until all the territory that he owned was filled with his curse…” From the depths of her mind, hazy and broken into tiny bits like shards of glass rose the tiniest of memories that were reflected from its edges. Steel clanging against steel, wartorn echoes of battle, people shouting out curses as axes and spears took their lives away. Bodies being dismembered one by one and flung against the grass, fires breaking out in the cool windy nights in the plains. Jane would never know if she made them up as a consequence to her mother always telling the story to them, or if they were actually real. But it felt as though she were there, witnessing one of mankind’s many fatal mistakes.

  
  
  


“In a shower of gore and blood, he reminded them of who and what they were. Raiders, not just any, but a band feared and renowned in the regions of central and western Runeterra. Brothers they were not by blood, those who remained of the ringleader’s wrath obeyed once more without question, reminding themselves that they were by no means petty ransackers. Yet those who watched their lovers and children die, succumbed to the wrath and hatred that burned away at their hearts…” Her voice was filled with melancholy for the countless people that watched their loved ones die in front of them. When she saw the fear that manifested in Elise’s eyes when she died, it turned into anger and resentment that festered for a long time. Through their bond, Jane felt them even as she slept. Her soul absorbing a part of the corrosive feeling away and replacing it with nostalgic memories the Spider queen had with her instead.

  
  
  
  


“As time went on, civilizations and new nations were erected throughout the lands, signifying that a new age has come. The tyrant leader realized that many of his so-called ‘brothers’ schemed behind his back and wanted revenge for what he had done. His fading locks of black hair told him that it will soon be his time, one way or the other. And so, he split his soul in half just as his right hand man struck an axe to his chest. With his knowledge of magic, he took half of his soul with him, and the other he tore into smaller pieces and scattered it throughout his territory, embedded into objects none would be suspicious about. A final blow to the head, and he is gone. They all rejoiced upon the tyrant king’s death, the reigning chaos had finally ended and the lands could rest from grief and hatred once more.”

  
  


A cold glimmer appeared from a corner of Jane’s eyes, the tone of her voice changing into something grim. “Yet what they hadn’t known, was that the curse had never been lifted. In fact, it craved for its master’s return as it continued to fester upon the depths of Runeterra. The tyrant king had masterfully crafted his plan upon his return, as he had planted the seeds of destruction and silently watched it grow as its roots anchored firmly to the ground. And once he returns, he will reap what he had sown.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  



	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm at a loss for chapter titles that I basically gave up on trying to give one XD
> 
> Also, sorry for the delays. College caught up and with the whole pandemic thing, it became increasingly worse for me who had to study through online class...

Two weeks after the incident happened with Aquilas and Jane finally getting her troublesome phone back, she and Elise were racking up wins in normal games before deciding to finally hit rank. Although it was very painfully exhausting having to queue up right after the last match ends, and Elise complaining about it five times a day and actually ordering Jane to stop and take a break, they finally finished their provisional and surprisingly landed at Gold 1. By the time the third week rolled in, they were the talk of the town, of how a rookie unrelentingly stomped division after division in the lower elo and won all ten of her games. This duo not only queues up without taking needed breaks, but they also do matches from morning till night. Getting used to managing the output of magic that flows between her and her champion has considerably helped them a lot, seeing as how in the first days of the first week Jane barely held her consciousness after the fourth or so match. 

  
  
  
  


“Aghh, I’m beat…” Jane groaned as she slumped on the plush sofa as Elise closed the door silently behind them. Over the course of those two weeks, they also ventured out to whatever part of the institute they can get to and kept on finding more and more unused lounges. She started wondering if they were the only ones who were using them at all but dismissed the thought as they noticed the fridges were always getting stocked with food and whatnot. Beside her, the spider queen sat with a huff, clearly as exhausted from their last match as Jane was. 

  
  
  


“I would like it if we could actually take a week off of matches. My whole body is cramped and I can definitely use a day in the spa and evenings for beauty sleep.” Her disheveled appearance proved that they were really pushing rank matches nonstop. A part of her beautiful battle dress also had some tears and wear in them. Simply glancing at her made Jane sigh. She had to remind herself that not all people and champions were as energetic as her. 

  
  
  


“Okay...I think it’s a good idea to stop grinding for ranks, at least for a little while. Both of us did our best, and I think we deserve a break, considering what’s going to happen in the Institute tomorrow and onward.” Today was the last day of peaceful ranking as the World’s championship regional qualifiers begin tomorrow. Not only that, but the Institute also informed in their bulletin boards that events would roll in every month, starting tomorrow. She doesn’t know what kind of events are going to be held, but it's sure to take everyone’s interest off of ranking until the last days of the qualifiers. 

  
  
  


Although that might mean that everything will be easier for them to grind as all those obnoxious and tilting summoners will be trolling their asses in the events, Jane not only gave her word to Elise already but the amount of attention they were getting also started to bother her, at least by a bit. For instance, a certain blue-haired champion approached her after a match, claiming that she wanted Jane to come with her and destroy skyscrapers while yelling incoherent things. Jinx had to be towed away by Ekko as she almost made quite the scene by pointing one of her many so-called “beloved guns” to the ceiling of the grand arena. The interaction was quite interesting for Elise, but it unnerved Jane when many people told her that the champion was eyeing her for the duration of four whole matches. Jinx even said that she was a  _ perfect _ match for her, despite only being a rookie and hadn’t had much experience in being a full-fledged summoner yet. Elise immediately changed her mind about the matter and hauled Jane away to their fifth match.

  
  


Remembering that particular memory gave the platinum blonde shivers that deemed way too uncomfortable. The idea of partnering with another champion just didn’t sit well with her. Beside her, Elise flipped her phone out while drinking a glass of water, absentmindedly handing another glass to the girl beside her. A shaky hand rose to greet and take it from hers, making her glance at Jane, only to raise a brow at her face paling, as though she thought of something bad. 

  
  


“...you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She chuckled tiredly, bringing her phone down and using her other hand to wrap around Jane’s fist to prevent the water from spilling. Blinking wildly, the young summoner came back into focus and gave a small sheepish smile at the spider queen before taking the offered drink. 

  
  


“Sorry... kinda spaced out. I was just thinking about all the attention we’ve been getting lately. It feels like I keep on butchering our cover.” Worry crossed her features, her fingers wrapping around the cold glass tightly as though testing the fragility of it. In her hurry to climb the ranks and become eligible for World’s, she hadn’t once thought what would happen if she got figured out. No doubt that Aquilas already knew, if the clue she gave him hadn’t gone right out of his ears. And then there was also Kayle, who had done nothing but stare daggers at the both of them. Jane also felt that one way or the other she knew something. She could never trust them enough with history. Especially with hers. Jane sighed, all of these thoughts made her head swim in confusion. 

  
  


Elise studied her very carefully. Emerald eyes shone with worry, not to mention her scent began exuding an aroma that Elise determined as distress signals. It felt as though the weight in her shoulders had only increased more as the days passed. It would only be a matter of time until all that pent up stress began taking its toll. It was on these rare occasions where she would be the one to uplift her summoner’s spirits back. She hated the feeling of Jane being irritable and restless in a bad manner. One wrong move and she would snap. It seems as though that part stuck with her, Havanna tends to do it a lot back when she was alive. Like a bad habit she could not break free from.

  
  
  


“Jane, come here.” The command was soft and simple, but the words carried the intended impact. Jane widened her eyes and slowly turned her head at the voice of her beloved. Elise was softly patting the spot next to her, her eyes soft yet serious. Jane could faintly make out the small bags that began forming under her eyes at the result of continuous matches without any form of rest. But she was still beautiful, she was still Elise.

  
  


Her body instinctively scooted in the champion’s awaiting arms, burying her face at the base of the spider queen’s neck. She is known to be cold and merciless to many, but that’s because they’ve only seen that side of her. In reality, Elise was only looking out for herself. Depending on her terms, she could actually step out of her zone and be a sociable person. And whenever they are together, Elise becomes warm. Not too hot, and not too cold. Though she can also be sly and sneaky at the same time.

  
  


Her nose was assaulted with her lover’s raw scent, complemented by some of the select body oils she seldom puts on for the sake of their finely tuned sense of smell. Slender arms wrapped around the small of her back and held her firmly, refusing to let her go. Jane could feel her other’s heartbeat, beating loud in a calming manner. Steady, like an anchor. These moments made Jane thank the stars that she had someone to hold her in times of need, to calm her down, and tell her it is okay to stop moving and doing, for once.

  
  


“You, are so ridiculous. What would you do if I’m not here? Perhaps run all the way to Targon? You need to rest too, you know. All things will have their time.” Elise’s voice dropped into a coo as she gently massaged Jane’s back with a hand and played with her hair on the other. Truth be told, she wasn’t as strong before as she was now. All of it has to come from somewhere, and for her, it was her time when she was still running her and her deceased husband’s house. But for Jane though…   
  
  
She was her only strength. She was her only rock. Elise wouldn’t know what would’ve happened had they not met. Maybe Jane would be so overcome with emotion that the mist would overtake her right then and there. The thought alone made her heart twitch in discomfort. She took in Jane’s scent and exhaled with a sigh, wondering how they would tackle this amount of free time together until they hit the climb again.  _ ‘Ah, it doesn’t matter.’ _

“Do you want to go somewhere?” She asked as she gently caressed her beloved’s hair. She felt Jane take in a huge amount of air before looking up at her with the most charming of smiles, slowly shaking her head then settling back in her place, nuzzling against Elise’s body. “Mind if we stay like this for a while..?” She understood even if her voice was muffled. Elise’s lips curled up in a small warm smile. She gently adjusted her position so that both of them were comfortable, and laid there while slowly humming a tune. “No. I don’t mind at all…” She replied with a hint of mirth in her voice.

  
  
  


\-------   
  
  
  
The sun’s rays slowly left the horizon, leaving it to the moon that allowed the night to come to life. One by one lights slowly filled the city of Valoran as bars and clubs opened for those who were looking to get themselves some good time. Food vendors began to put their wares on the street as the air of excitement made the city square bustling with the common folk, summoners as well as champions. For a few though, the night meant a lot of hidden opportunities to stalk and use the darkness to their own selfish advantage. 

  
  
  


Under the guise of the shadows in a nearby forest, a tipsy summoner with a platinum brooch followed a woman who was the epitome of beauty and deceit. Golden eyes turned into slits filled with mischief and malevolence as she held his hand and laughed with hotness that urged the man to go after her more. Blonde hair that reached just a bit past her shoulders shone against what little light filtered through the trees, resembling a beacon of light to any passersby who potentially got lost in the forest. Only to unsuspectingly lure them into the predator that, for once, did not try to hide and instead turned into a deliciously looking female any lecherous men, or women, could get their hands on. As she lured him deeper into the forest, she looked once back at the man’s clouded eyes, filled with lust that she came to know all too well, and gave him a very sultry smile, exaggerating the sway of her hips as she felt him nudge her forward, eager to whatever moments they will have with one another once they get to their destination.

  
  
  


A few more moments and the clacking of stilettos against rocky ground stopped. The man looked at her, a bit confused, wary but also brimming with excitement. He smiled like the pervert he was as he thought that he would finally get some of that action after ten back to back loss streaks. He thought he was lucky as he flexed his hands, his eyes shining with the desperation she oh so desperately craved, and watched the emotions flitter in and out of those dull orbs. She smirked as she led him to a nearby tree away, away from the path which leads back to the city square. 

  
  


She faced him fully, her face morphing into one of seduction with a little bit of shyness for a bit of spice. Make him think that he had the reigns. Ah, she can taste it at the tip of her tongue now. “I know you want me, darling. No one’s going to see us here~” She chuckled in a throaty voice as she leaned closer to the man, who had his back against the tree. Her well-manicured fingers trailed the side of his jaw, down to his chest. She must admit, he does smell good if only to accentuate the pang of hunger she constantly felt throughout the day. She adjusted the dress she wore to make him bite the last straw. 

  
  
  


Without any warning, he placed his hands on her shoulders and flipped them around, the woman eliciting a small voice of mock hurt as she allowed him to gain confidence with his advances. 

  
  


“That’s it love, just a little bit more.” Her seductive laugh echoed across the dancing shadows of the trees. A strong breeze swept by them, carrying various scents from the city to the forest. One, in particular, drew her attention. A feminine scent that smelled strongly of mint and sweat and spice assaulted her nose that it almost made her stumble back. Suddenly she felt thrice more hungry. She did not hesitate to make the first strike before the man had even done anything to her.   
  
  
Raising her right hand, her nails lengthened and darkened, the tips turning into a hideous purple she slashed the man’s chest open. For a moment, nothing happened, the man not registering what she had just done to him. And then…   
  
  
The screams began.

  
  
  


\-----------------   
  
  
  
“Did you hear that...Elise?” Jane and Elise were on their way back to the mansion using the same path they took when they first came to the city, when a high pitched scream of a man sounded not too far from where they are, probably five hundred meters to their right. She knew the spider queen heard it as well, but since Elise’s attitude meant she did not care for someone else’s safety save for herself and Jane, she most likely would’ve ignored it. Valoran has become a hotspot for various beings that feed on humans on purpose or not after all. But since Jane has responsibility for souls and spirits, it was her job to investigate even if it didn’t outright involve her. It seemed as though the spider queen knew what she was thinking and immediately glared at her.

  
  


“No.” She flat out told her. Jane’s aura flared to life and Elise sniffed a scent that reeked of challenging authority. Her brows furrowed as she stared at the summoner’s defiant form, her lips turning into a small frown. “I told you, no is no. We don’t know what’s in there and it is none of our business.” And still, the mage held her ground, her eyes shining with the intent on running away from her champion.

  
  


“Just a little bit, to see what happened, and then be on our way?” Elise sighed and scratched her head. She was already very tired and wanted no more than to crash on their soft bed. Her little critters are already calling out to her, wanting to be fed back in the mansion. She completely forgot that she actually laid some guards there while she was gone. Looking back at Jane, there was just no way of convincing her that it was a bad idea to go out in the forest at night. Especially after what they just heard. At this rate, they won’t budge from their spot.

  
  
  


With one last groan, she succumbed. But this would be the last. Walking up to the rookie summoner, she pulled up Jane’s hood over her head firmly, before donning her own. “Fine. But we will only take a look. And then we’ll go back to the mansion. No buts.” She begrudgingly told her. It was a good thing that Jane knew when to take things seriously as she looked at the direction where the scream came from. “To the trees then, we might find the culprit still there. And if not…” Her worried look was accompanied by her the tightening of her fists. “The only thing I can do is to give them a silent prayer.” Elise side-eyed her as she spoke. It seemed as though Jane felt responsible every time someone dies even if it wasn’t her fault. One day she’ll sit down and look through any of the books she collected for this curse that has been burdening her for who knows how long.   
  
  
She could only reply with a nod and then made to leap at the branches and lead them forward, towards the heart of the forest.

  
  
  
  


\-----------------

Whoever this person was, they did a very horrific job with the murder they left behind. They weren’t even at the crime scene yet and Jane could already smell the amount of blood spilled upon the ground. When they arrived, it was a grotesque mess. One she is familiar with, yet struggled to comprehend why the deed had been done.   
  
  
She could tell it was a man only because of the remnants of his scent. All else was blocked by blood. She could not discern who he was with unless she stepped away from the murder at least twenty feet away. The place was elaborately spilled with guts and gore, and his face was slashed too many times to make out an identity. An eyeball laid on the grass just a few inches from her feet, a severed arm impaled on a branch not too far from the main body. Waist down had been cleanly chopped off and then sliced into even tinier pieces and then spread all over the place, like a canvass of some kind. Jane grimaced at what happened to the man’s chest. Claws of some kind ripped through his rib cage and tore out his heart forcefully and left it dangling, a pool of blood freshly dripping out of it, and if one could narrow their eyes even closer, the heart was pumping, twitching out the last amounts of blood it could take.   
  


  
  


It was a massacre. Gruesome at all levels. Again she had to thank her stars that she retained memories about murders happening in her past. 

  
  


Elise was beyond disgusted by the whole scenario, and it was only because her nose was irritated by the amount of iron she could smell all over the place. She had seen far worse murders than this but it didn’t mean she liked it. Judging by the blood that still dripped from the severed limbs, the murderer wanted a slow and tormenting death. She could already form a list in her mind the champions that could do this either for purpose or pleasure. Unknowingly, her boots stepped on a puddle of blood that formed a few distances away from the body.   
  
  
“Disgusting. Whoever does this has to know I will be fining them for committing murders in  _ our  _ forest.” She grudgingly wiped the life essence on the grass and pulled her robe above her ankles as to not get blood on it.   
  
  
Jane walked in an entire circle outside the murder site to hopefully catch the scent of whoever committed the crime. Cautious about what she steps on, she trod the grass quietly with masterful silence. She stared upward, and inhaled, trying to get a scent amidst the metallic odor. A sudden pair of glowing gold eyes flashed in her peripheral vision before it disappeared. Jane did a double-take and examined that spot with alarm, her emerald eyes shining brightly in the moonlight. She decided to contact Elise through their bond, her instincts of combat and survival flaring to life.   
  
  
_ ‘We’re not alone. Be careful.’  _   
  
  
From the other side of the crime scene, Elise’s robed figure suddenly snapped in her summoner’s direction and the spot where she was staring at. Narrowing her eyes at the prospect of the murderer still in the vicinity, she allowed her fangs to come out and her magic at the ready in case they get attacked. Most importantly, they knew someone would come here to check what happened. If not they should’ve left a while ago. 

  
  


_ ‘Be alert. Don’t get any blood on you, and run to the mansion on my signal.’  _ She would rather run than to fight with this unforeseen threat. That, and they were both already tired for the day. And this isn’t the rift. You die, you’re gone for good. Jane nodded mentally, and slowly trudged forward, donning on the body language of a tense fighter. You never know what you might find lurking in the dark. Which was why when she saw shadows moving in a disorganized manner that did not follow the movements of the swaying branches and the leaves of the trees, she trekked slower, and slower, and hastily breathed in the air silently.

  
  
  


Surprise plastered itself in her hidden face when she actually got something other than the blood. Expensive perfume, something exotic and primal, the smell of never-ending hunger, the amount of information she got from just that had overridden her brain that made her step back a little. “Ugh...that stinks…” She whispered to herself. But no doubt that the killer was a female, judging by the scent. Well, the perfume was what made her say that. It’s too pure that it almost burned off the hairs in her nose.    
  
  
She already had the info she wanted. All she had to do was run now. But the close proximity between her and the killer was a bit too close than what she intended. She could  _ feel  _ the stare like arm’s length away. Now that she knew her scent, it was too easy to get distracted. Like some sort of hypnotic trance, her movement became sluggish and wobbly. Before she knew it, she was slowly walking towards the bushes that the moonlight cannot reach. Her eyes were fixated on a certain spot, drawn to it until those golden slitted orbs reappeared and stared at her. It narrowed into a mischievous line, staring intently at the depths of Jane’s soul. The young summoner helplessly stepped through the shadows as  _ she  _ waited for her to fall deeper into her trap. This one is ten times more different than the meal she had earlier. She could almost hold the girl in her grasp, just a little more…   
  
  
“Jane!” Suddenly what was supposed to be her next toy was yanked away from her by the person in the red robe. Her voice was somewhat familiar before the woman’s eyes scanned the spot where she was expertly hidden. The unknown murderer’s eyes widened in disbelief. They knew each other for a long time. Her crimson eyes held animosity and worry for the girl who she held protectively in front of her. “We’ve been here for far too long. We have to go.” She did not wait for the summoner to utter a single word as the taller woman dragged her away and leaped out of the murder scene.

  
  


When she was sure that both of them were gone, she rose from the shadows, licking her lips in anticipation and excitement. She now knew the girl’s scent despite not knowing what she looked like. And to think, it was the same one her friend asked her to sponsor into the League.   
  
  
“What an enticing situation.” Two hidden lashers glowed faintly against the moonlight, twitching in excitement. She could barely contain herself as she thought of the things she can do to the uprising summoner. She could feel the strength emanating off of her. 

  
  
  


One, like that of a demon.

  
  
  


\-------------------

  
  
  


_ ‘You almost got yourself killed there kiddo.’ _ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _ ‘Almost got yourself consumed there. Good thing it was  _ Her  _ you encountered, and not that talking greedy fish.’ _

  
  


_ ‘For sure. That thing won’t hesitate on bringing her to who knows where after gobbling her up.’  _

  
  


_ ‘No. Let us be thankful it wasn’t the scarecrow who found her first. She is far from ready to meet  _ IT _.’ _

  
  


_ ‘Golly me I almost got a heart attack!’  _ A much more enthusiastic voice broke out amongst the murmurs.

_ ‘No one’s gonna care about you and your heart attacks, Mariel. Besides, you’re already dead!’  _ A grumpy old voice chidded not too far from where the woman sounded.

Voices of laughter echoed out in the abyss, surrounding Jane’s floating form again. In her half awakened state, she could see many silhouettes of people blocking the light coming down from above.  _ ‘These voices…’  _ From a far distant memory, she could faintly recall who they once belonged to. She felt happiness bloom within the depths of her being, without knowing why, and also a sense of comfort, and even sadness. Someone, she cannot remember who, taught her to let these feelings come freely as they go. 

  
  


As the sounds of temporary joy slowly eased into a mellow one, the people -she hoped so- were left staring at her through the confines of the darkness. One of them spoke. This time, his voice wasn’t one that sounded like they were under water, but sounded like he was talking in front of her.

  
  


“Jane...honey, know that we’re always here for you.” She could imagine the look on his face, smiling sadly, one of pity and regret. His voice sounded so much like the one in her memory. Could he be her father? She could no longer remember, except his teachings. She memorized the ways of the Carinelii, and the forests of which they hail from. Some time ago she asked them questions of what she was supposed to do, and yet they never answered.

  
  


It never hurt to ask more.

  
  


“Are you...does this voice belong to my father?” Suddenly, everything came to a quiet. As if she was left alone once again. A few seconds, and her perceptive ears can make out the sounds of a man faintly sobbing in the distance, followed by whispers of solemnity and encouragement. Jane wanted to follow that voice, but all she can do is to reach her hand out in the dark. Even if she wanted to, the light wouldn’t let her body pass beyond the realm of its touch. 

  
  


_ ‘You wouldn’t wanna come to this side, Havanna...It’s not time yet. All you could do right now is remember what we taught you. Use it and use it well. That woman will also help you on your journey. Stay sharp, stay vigilant. Also, if you ever meet your aunt, tell her to go fuck herself in the void.’  _ It was that grumpy old voice again, and not after he said those perverse words she could hear a slapping sound and voices of hurt and laughter. Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, Jane wanted to ask who it was he was he referred to, if only the light hadn’t called out to her.

  
  
  


\----------------

  
  


For once, she was glad to have woken up early before her ever so energetic lover. The only reason why she hated mornings was because she either slept up late or if she was still tired. Nevertheless, today Elise felt different towards this part of the day and now she wanted to cook for the both of them, as strange as it sounded to anyone and to her.

  
  


Crimson eyes fluttered open to see a mop of platinum strands of hair swept across the bed. Looking down, Elise raised an eyebrow when she spotted Jane’s sleeping face mushed against her breasts and softly snoring away. Her strong arms pinned her against the mattress, making her essentially captured by this heavy energetic force that could only be her lover. For a few moments Elise stayed still, trying to remember what happened last night that made them like this.

  
  


After Elise grabbed Jane by the crook of her cowl and leapt away from the site, she quickly made a beeline back to their mansion, losing their hidden enemy on the way as the forest became quite denser and fog slowly started rolling in. When they arrived, Jane acted strangely and looked like she was out of it for a while. Dragging her surprisingly heavy body even with her enhanced strength, Elise was surprised when her summoner snapped out of it and dropped on the bed, fast asleep. 

  
  


Elise sighed and plopped back on her pillow. This girl has been giving her crow’s feet since a week ago, and yet she couldn’t do anything but simply place her fingers on her nose and scrunch it up. As easy as breathing, she brought her hand up and started softly stroking Jane’s hair. What can she do this early..? Probably cook. Deep down she had a passion for cooking exquisite food. Not fancy ones where she would show them off in some 5 star restaurant, but something of an accomplishment for herself. She had no reason to share it with strangers anyway, but Jane did always say it was a treat for her when she cooks, sparkly eyes and all. And since it was the start of their week off before potentially going back for the grind, she could make a simple meal for both of them.

  
  


With that in mind, she slowly pushed herself up without carelessly setting the sleeping girl off. Prying her surprisingly strong hands gently off her waist, Elise stealthily snuck off the bed and used her pillow as a substitute. Her eyes were trained on the girl the entire time, noting no differences in her expressions as she slowly made her way out of the room and heading straight for their kitchen.

  
  
  


\-------------

  
  
  


The coldness beside her was what she first noticed when her eyes opened, then the smell of something delicious that wormed its way to her stomach made Jane stand up quickly in confusion. 

  
  


It’s morning. Yes.

  
  


Elise is nowhere to be found. Yes.

  
  


I could smell something insanely delicious and mouth watering. Yes.

  
  


Where is it coming from...and where is Elise? . . .

  
  


The moment her mind connected the dots together, literally, she made a mad dash out of the room. Their blankets were on the way and before Jane knew it she was facing the floor with a pounding pain on her forehead. But hunger appealed more to her. 

  
  


ELISE IS COOKING!

  
  


“ELISE IS COOKING! AAAAAAA!” Jane was crazy for the spider queen’s dishes. Rarely do they have something on the dining table but when they do, it’s like a month’s worth of not having any! No matter how simple it is, any cooking that comes from the noblewoman is a VERY very good sign that she is in a good mood.

  
  


Jane got up again and continued barreling out of the room and down the hallway to the stairs. The heavy stomping of her feet signaled just how excited she is, her mouth salivating like a wild animal that hasn’t fed in nearly a week.

  
  


Ignoring the amount of startled sentry spiders that hissed at her as she dashed by, the smell of whatever delicious food that Elise was cooking became the sole thing that remained in her mind apart from the spider queen herself. With how fast she is, she arrived at the kitchen in no time, and the sight just made her mouth water more.

  
  


\-----------

  
  


She definitely heard the thump that sounded above the kitchen ceiling, then the mad stomping, and then the screaming. Elise shook her head and smiled at the girl’s antics. Today she hadn’t donned her make up, as it isn’t really necessary, and instead draped on one of Jane’s many loose clothings as well as a pair of shorts that went unseen. How the girl had more loose clothes that fitted her more than Elise, despite the spider queen being bigger than her, made her wonder for a moment. Her sentries were unpleasantly woken up by Jane running down the halls of the manor like a madman, just in time for her to take out the steaming hot pot of crab and corn soup.

  
  
  


Setting it at the table along with the other dishes she had prepared beforehand, the kitchen utensils and plates subtly rattled when the kitchen doors opened quietly. At least Jane knew when to respect one of her favorite spaces. The spider queen could feel the excitement and rush of energy in her bones as Jane came barging in right after she closed the mahogany doors with great restraint. When Elise glanced at her though, she didn’t know how she managed to stifle a laugh.

  
  
  


Jane was staring up at her confusingly, in nothing but her undergarments…

  
  
  


“Ah. Mornings really are such a delight.” She commented, looking at Jane’s emerald orbs before trailing down at her well toned stomach. At the motion, the smaller female looked down at the direction the spider queen was staring at, only for her face to become flush and beet red. She could scream at any moment now. At that thought, Elise covered her ears.

  
  
  


“I TOLD YOU NOT TO UNDRESS ME IN MY SLEEP!” Jane had tears in her eyes as embarrassment made its way all over her unblemished face. Elise only laughed at her genuinely, without any restraint whatsoever. Many ruby eyes glanced at the opened kitchen doors curiously, seeing and hearing their mistress sound and act like that was something that went unheard of, until now.

Wiping a few stray tears from the corners of her eyes, Elise finally stopped into a chuckle and proceeded to calm the fuming Jane down.

  
  


“Now now, you feisty little moth. We can’t have you running around the mansion semi naked. Shoo and get your clothes on. And no, if you are coming home dirty then it's either you get undressed and change into a new pair or get the couch.” Elise gently whirled Jane around, planted a kiss on her head, then pushed her out of the kitchen. Said girl looked back at her with a betrayed and pouty look, then dashed out of her sight again. The spider queen could only merit her with a sigh. That girl is really full of energy.

  
  
  


\-----------

  
  
  


When Jane finally came back, Elise had to do a double take at the summoner’s appearance. She wore nothing but a black sports bra as well as black sweatpants. Her torso was littered with small scars that faded with time, the muscles in her arms, shoulders and stomach letting itself be known and touched by the rays of sunshine from the windows that Elise opened to allow the wind to come in freely. The spider queen almost dropped a plate that she forgot she was holding when she stared at Jane. in response, she raised an eyebrow as well as a small smirk.

  
  


“What did i tell you about proper clothing around the mansion?” She greeted, finally breaking eye contact with the girl and finishing preparations for the table. Jane walked in, barefooted, and went for Elise first to give her a kiss on the cheek. “Eh, i don’t know about that, but good morning. I’m planning on having a good run today. The wind is right and the day looks good.” Ever the gentlewoman that she is when it comes to her lover, Jane slipped Elise’s chair out and made her sit before sitting beside her. Elise could only marvel at the act with an eye roll. Just one of her many charming moves.

  
  


“Thank you. And now, let us eat.” She just picked up her fork and knife when beside her Jane was already having her baguette and bowl of crab and corn and devouring it completely. Elise blinked still, watching the girl eat at a rapid pace. Blinking to herself once again, the spider queen merely sighed and helped herself to her food. Talk about being gentle and then ravenous at the next. Jane’s eyes sparkled brightly as her face contorted into utter pleasure at each bite of the other dishes she mad, which consisted of oatmeal, vegetable shake -which the younger girl learned to love, so long as there are sweet fruits to account for the green coloration of the liquid- bread, eggs, pancake, orange juice, nuts, boiled beef soup, fried chicken and fish, and her crab and corn soup.

  
  


Really, the amount of food was solely for the voracious girl. Elise could eat a few portions of it but she could never eat it all. The amount that goes in the younger girl’s diet was probably the reason why she was so obnoxiously heavy to carry despite her size. Everyone that decides to live with her would soon realize the horrors that it would bring when it comes to feeding her. Luckily Elise does cooking in her free time, and she liked to experiment on the things she could create, like that vegetable and fruit shake for example. Even on her first try, which made Jane green, she still chugged it all down and said she wanted more. The rational part of Elise’s mind told her that it was because the girl was so hungry that she would take anything edible that was given to her.

  
  
  


“Elise, you’re the best cook i’ve ever had!” Jane’s musings struck her back to reality, and by then Elise noticed that almost half of the table’s servings were gone from their respective plates. Jane had tears on the crooks in her eyes and could not stop eating and slurping from her bowl. The noblewoman could only shake her head quietly with a smile. “Leave some for the chef you idiot.”

  
  
  


\--------

  
  
  


Their morning consisted of jogging around the foggy grounds of their chilly forest. Darting blurs that were akin to shadows passed along as the fog rolled and swirled beneath their feet, laughter echoed all around. Footsteps sounded like tiny mice feet as two figures darted here and there, outpacing, outmaneuvering the other, graceful as a phantom. The soft blades of the yet unseen grass beneath their bare feet tickled and gave them feelings of wonder and pure rush of adrenaline, while mother sun slowly rose over the horizon to bask the beautiful verdant greenery with her warm sunlight. 

  
  
  


Taking a deep breath, Jane yelled while she ran, waking up the local fauna of the forest as she laughed when she heard them scamper in different directions. Not too far behind her, musical giggles lit her eyes in joy as she looked back at Elise, who leapt from tree to tree to train herself in parkour as though many years of practice weren’t enough. Soon, she joined Jane by jumping down and running beside her, hair as wild as an untamed elnuk, just like her lover. 

  
  
  


Jane grinned widely at her as they sped up, not knowing where they would end up, but ultimately enjoying their morning routine nonetheless. Jane’s long hair flowed freely like a mane, like a silver streak across the moderately lit forest canopy. Birds began singing the farther they went in the groves, somersaulting or vaulting over large rocks and small streams, the pitter patter of feet against wet rock echoing before resuming the natural sounds of nature once more. In the younger girl’s mind she planned on taking Elise to the spot where she found the beautiful white flowers that were far down at the cove. Dodging overgrown roots as the trees became wider and bigger, Elise became aware of the new atmosphere that surrounded the forest. While definitely the birds were still chirping, they were very far away and the forest helped their cries travel long distances. Only mere echoes. Not too long after that, it became quiet.

  
  
  


Their run slowly came to a jog, then to a walk. The spider queen was enamored at how high the branches were, and how no sunlight penetrated the canopy and into the ground below. It almost felt like a sacred place to be in, and with her escapades she knew enough to heed it and give the place respect. Her tall stature followed Jane like a shadow, and as her eyes became fixated on the girl’s head for a source of light, other than the slow rolling of the white fog and the chill in her ankles, did Elise see what was in front of them.

  
  
  


Jane led Elise to a mass of roots near the sunlight that touched the ground. Like what she felt when she first saw the beautiful serene sights of the blooming flowers, uninterrupted and untainted, far from human clutches, it silently grew and absorbed what the sun had offered it.

She could sense mixed emotions coming from the older woman. At first it was her adrenaline flushing out of her system, and the next was awe and contentment, and then there was fascination.

  
  


The spider queen stopped beside her, and as Jane glanced at her eyes, they were too fixated on what was below but they shone brightly than ever before. Maybe, perhaps, Elise has a spot for the innocent, no matter how far from it she really is. A small smile made its way to her face, and softly sat down against one of the many overlapping roots in a comfortable position. 

  
  
  


“You found this place?” She whispered. Jane hummed in answer. “I did. When we first moved in…” No more words were exchanged between the two as they both watched the first of its petals open. Soon, more followed, until the flower was in full bloom. It radiated something beautiful that Jane couldn’t put her finger on, but something deep within her compelled her to just stare at it all day.

  
  


A sudden breaking of a branch caught their attention. All too quickly, the calmness went away and was replaced by caution and wariness. In the distance, between two large boulders in front of a tree, stood a white figure. Straining her eyesight, Jane could make out an outline of root antlers that spread above its head like roots going and spreading upwards. The next they noted was it was a quadrupled creature, and that it was looking directly at them. What struck her was the sky blue eyes that held calmness in them, staring back at their own darker ones. Jane held her breath, she couldn’t believe she was seeing this for the second time of her entire lifetime…

  
  
  


“It’s  _ him. Fian’naur archa’ios _ .” She breathed. A gust of wind blew from his direction to theirs, allowing them to sniff the scent of fresh spring and thawed snow, even though autumn was on its way to take over the season. His eyes remained fixated at the two of them, their nerves awashed with serenity. And then, he began to walk away…

  
  


Each step the sacred creature made, was like a hoof whose sounds on stone were amplified by a microphone and into a speaker. It rang loudly within their ears as he walked, and did not stop until his white coat was no longer in their sights...

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god i just realized I posted the unfinished chapter lmao. I'm sorry XD


	12. What you wouldn't want to know

Jane’s phone buzzed loudly after they came back from their escapade in the forest. One look at Elise’s face and Jane swore she saw everything flash behind the spider queen’s eyes. From confusion to amazement to wonder, things she never knew the older woman was capable of feeling. The forest grew even more mysterious, now that the pseudo primordial being had made its presence. The  _ Fian’naur  _ is another one of the beings that were as old as her village itself. Probably even there in the beginnings of Noxus, if she were to guess.

  
  


“Hmm?” Jane sipped on her orange juice as she scrolled down the countless notifications on her phone until one grabbed her attention. It was a notice directed to all of the rookies and it was  _ mandatory  _ that all attend. She spared a knowing glance at Elise, who answered with a raise of her eyebrows.

  
  


“Take a look at this, says I'm required to join the rookie events. Was it like this last year? Some sort of initiation into the League?” She clicked on the message and read the contents out loud as Elise made her way to her. The sun was already high up in the sky as they sat on the grass. Folding both hands on Jane’s shoulder and laying her head on them, she peered at the notes that the Institute sent to her summoner. 

  
  
  


“ _ Good Day Summoner, _

  
  


_ You are required to attend the annual initiation rites and scouting events to be held in the grand arena. The events will be held on Monday morning and will last for at least two weeks so that the champions will have a chance to scout for eligible summoners. Failure to participate in the events will force us to withdraw your summoner credentials and prevent you from entering any further matches.  _

  
  
  


_ We request that you arrive on time and bring the necessary requirements to participate in the event. Also, physical and mental conditions are to be examined by Soraka strictly by a schedule that you will find attached to this memorandum. We hope you comply. _

  
  
  


__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ -Sincerely, Institute “ _

  
  


“That doesn’t sound so threatening at all…” Jane whispered sarcastically as she scrolled to the bottom of the memorandum to find her schedule for Soraka to examine her. Hers was scheduled to be on Friday at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. But what was a bit concerning was that their cover would be totally blown to bits now that they are all required to be seen by the world. An uncomfortable sensation welled up in her gut. No doubt that at least some of the noxian champions would recognize her, and if that witch is there to see the events…

  
  
  


Jane found herself growing pale and cold at the thought. Everything is going by too fast to come up with a plan. Instead of just silently playing matches and climbing up the ranks as peacefully and as quietly as they could, the institute came along and had to drag their asses towards the light. How on earth is Aquilas okay with disclosing personal information like this? 

  
  
  


Sensing the younger girl’s distraught, Elise unclasped her hands and squeezed Jane’s shoulders. “It’ll be fine, all you have to do is get through and be done with it as quickly as you could.” She encouraged. The wind blew strongly against their sitting forms, the sun’s rays hitting the leaves and filtering through to the grass. The canopy filled once more with the songs of birds as Jane remained silent. 

  
  


“I guess...if it works that way.” Jane turned to her with a small comforting smile, though the spider queen saw fear resonating within the depths of her eyes. She wasn’t used to seeing Jane being fearful of something. Usually, the girl only fears her and her temper when she knew she was out of line. Trying to hide when you have to do something big is definitely very hard. Which is what made her very curious. Why was she hiding anyway? When she first heard that Jane was running from LeBlanc, of all people, it surprised her a lot that it still bothered her to this day. Since the mood was a bit right, maybe now is the time to ask.

  
  
  


“Why were you running from LeBlanc?” As if the question were a hot knife, Jane jumped away from her in shock. It was mildly unnerving to see the amount of distrust and hesitance in her emerald gaze. It greatly unsettled both of them at once. Elise wasn’t sure if she asked at the right time, or not. Considering that the witch was an accomplice of hers, she quickly realized how complicated it suddenly got. Was that why Jane held back from telling her..?

  
  
  


Jane sat a few inches away, facing her. Elise gave her a confused look. She couldn’t blame the girl. Jane sighed deeply, then stared at Elise with unspoken determination. “What will you do with the information, Elise? We’re talking about a manipulative witch here. I know you’re strong, but against her? I don’t think so.” The hostile tone in her voice wasn’t directed at Elise, she knew that, but why is she so angry at her? Not to mention her strength being discussed in this. Elise knew there was just no killing that so-called primordial person. Believe her when she said she tried. 

  
  


“I admit I’m powerless against her, and she’s a tough bitch to kill, that’s for sure, but i can hold my own against her.” If there are two things that Elise is proud of, that would be Jane and the fact that she tried to kill LeBlanc, got out of the ordeal with minimal damage,  _ and  _ the witch somehow ignored the fact that the spider queen tried to kill her. She watched Jane’s eyebrows crinkle in disbelief before her face contorted into confusion. “You did what?” She stared at Elise, dumbfounded as if she had grown another pair of arachnid legs. “You,  _ tried  _ to kill LeBlanc…? Are you fucking shitting me?” She couldn’t help but swear, her noxian accent thickly coming in. She scanned the spider queen’s face as though she was waiting for her to tell that it was just a shitty joke. But her face remained passive and unmoving.

  
  
  


“Shit. You really did?!” Her hands flew into her hair and tangled themselves in it. “You’ve got guts to pull that off, it’s a miracle she didn’t send her agents after you.” She grimaced at the thought of countless assassins and mercenaries trying to get to them and attacking them in the middle of the night. While that meant more souls for her, it is a huge pain in the neck to constantly be on the lookout for them. And it ain’t funny.

  
  


Elise scoffed as she folded her hands over her chest and sat in a more comfortable position on the grass. “Don’t forget that aside from pretty spiders I can liquefy anyone who isn’t tolerant of poison. Now, why were you hiding from her?” There isn’t much reason for running away from LeBlanc, of all people. Generally, they just steer clear of her path because of her prowess, and her relentless pursuit of trying to kill Swain just doesn’t make her an ideal acquaintance.

  
  
  


Again, Jane became silent and thoughtful, weighing options, listening to instincts. Elise is her lifelong companion and lover, she deserves to know. On the other hand, she’s also an accomplice of LeBlanc’s, and that witch will do anything once she finds out she’s closer than she actually thought on catching her. Both of them will be at risk and at the very bottom of it all she will use Elise against her until she breaks. But looking at the woman in front of her...she’s expecting to at least answer her question, yet Jane had been denying it for so long that she felt the spider queen become desperate for it. She could feel her emotions through their bond after all. And she had already done a huge deal for her just by being there. 

  
  


With another huge breath, what she was about to tell Elise will feel like she had been slapped by the reality she had been evading for far too long. It had been ages since she had last seen that woman’s smile breaking when she knew of the truth. Now it had been all but nothing, an endless pursuit of something that can never be brought back.

  
  
  


“Emilia LeBlanc is…” Elise leaned in as her eyes widened at the use of the real witch’s name. A question as to how Jane knew of her real name popped into her mind, but what she heard next was one that she never thought to be real, like a sick twisted dream.

  
  
  


“ _ My great-grandaunt.” _

  
  
  


\---------------------

  
  
  


Elise roamed the halls of her mansion come nightfall. She found it too hard to comprehend what she just heard hours ago. She had to make Jane repeat what she just said in hopes of not hearing it right despite having sensitive hearing. But no, now it was the girl’s turn to become serious and firm. She wasn’t trying to hide her fear for the Deceiver as she looked around them after confessing that LeBlanc was a close relative of hers. That would mean that Jane’s House is connected to the Black Rose somehow and since Jane said she was the last one to represent then automatically she owns everything the Contessans owned. But if what she was telling is true then….

  
  


LeBlanc is also a  _ Contessan. _

  
  


Going to the mansion’s library where her most prized books were stored, books that had seen and survived Noxus’ invasion of Ionia, Elise was sure she could find information that could hopefully shed some light into this god awful complicated mess she suddenly found herself in. Jane is abnormally wary and fearful of LeBlanc for some reason, and Elise is more than thrilled to find out why. The instincts of being a seeker called out to her once more, and she could feel her heart beginning to beat faster at the prospect of finding things that should have been left alone, buried in the remains of history. 

  
  
  


Opening the heavy reinforced doors that blocked magic from penetrating the interiors of the library, Elise silently walked inside, clad only in her expensive robe and barefooted. The library floors were covered in a silky gray carpet, and she has taken great delight to have them all around the house except for the ground floor. A small lounge has been set up in the corner of the room, plush bean bags, and a small table with a lamp on it. The choice of furniture was Jane’s favorite, and sometimes Elise would find her in this part of the house, either dozing off with a book on her face or just sleeping on the carpet. She complained that it was much softer than their bed. Elise had to reprimand her after that, it felt as though it was a direct hit to her pride at the time. 

  
  
  


Softly closing the doors, she began to scan the isles of books that are well separated alphabetically, and according to their corresponding topics. Elise immediately headed to the section that contains all information about the houses in Noxus. “C….C...Co..” Nails dragged along the dusty old book binds that threatened to get torn off by the intense concentration Elise held. She continued walking down the many shelves until she found the section of houses that corresponds to the one she was looking for.

_ Coleostem _

_ Constantyne _

_ Contessan _

  
  


Elise stopped in front of the book with the letters engraved in a rich gold. The leather binds were surprisingly thinner than the rest and was almost mistaken for another part of a big book. Elise’s lips curled up into a small satisfied smirk as she took it out of the shelf. She could smell the pages before she could even open the cover, signifying that it was written what she would estimate to be at least six hundred or so years ago. She felt the leather in her fingertips, it was probably made with whatever expensive material there was in its age, and it did well to protect the papers within it. She noticed a small lock that prevented her from opening it completely, but one tug and the rusty lock came off.

  
  
  


This is what she was looking for, the sudden rush of adrenaline made Elise smile widely while her heart thumped loudly against her ribcage. She wanted nothing more than to find out the mystery underlying Jane and LeBlanc’s relation to her. Not only that, but she had also heard tales of the Contessans and their lineage, but by the time she had successfully gotten into the house of Zaavan, all she heard were mere folktales of them even existing as one of the top Houses amongst all of Noxus, now forgotten in the dust. 

  
  


Elise immediately headed for the bean bags and sat down comfortably before opening the book. She made sure that Jane was sound asleep and had sentries monitoring her in case she wakes up. Although she does know that Elise is looking into her past, the older woman isn’t just a tad comfortable with Jane looking over her shoulder as she does so, as much as she wanted to ask the sole survivor of history herself.

  
  


Turning the small lamp on, Elise proceeded to take a breather before opening the book. The first thing that hit her was the scent of fresh lilies and a perfectly preserved purplish white one that was pressed in the first page. At the bottom of the page, a red seal that had the image of a  _ Thysania agrippina  _ with its wings outstretched. Elise thumbed the seal and immediately took it back when she felt it staring back at her. She could feel an indescribable weird sensation oozing from the book, as if it quietly dared her to read it through while expecting consequences to happen. Elise ignored it and flipped through the next pages.

  
  
  


There wasn’t much to say about introducing the Contessans, the book immediately went to explaining how far up they were in the seat of power. Elise became intrigued in this section and read through it.

  
  


_ “Boram Darkwill’s idiocy and madness about conquering Ionia has led the high ranked families to a revolt that was orchestrated by the head of the familia Contessan, to which those who are against Darkwill agreed to. Ammassing a force of over twenty thousand soldiers that were composed of Darkwill’s prisoners of war, they stormed the Immortal Bastion and took hold of the fort, only to be stopped by the Black Rose.”  _

  
  
  


This greatly piqued Elise’s interest as she turned the next page, seeing a sketch of The Battle for the Bastion. Horses and cavalry were everywhere in the page, in the middle of them all stood a woman in her black dress and free flowing silver hair, facing the countless mages that blocked them from entering the fort. On the mages side, she could see the silhouette of a mage that stood out from the rest, holding a long staff and pointed it at the other woman. Looking at the bottom of the sketch, a short note was written.

  
  
  


_ “A traitor was found amongst the familia of the Contessan, who had already informed Boram of their plans and is now enroute back to Noxus after failing to conquer the Placidium in Ionia. Outraged at her relative’s betrayal, the orchestrator of the revolt, Elizabeth Contessan, in a great display of destructive strength and magic, slaughtered and eliminated a third of the Black Rose’s population and successfully drove them back to the depths of the darkness, where they are not heard of ever again. Yet Elizabeth Contessan was unsatisfied and ordered a witch hunt for LeBlanc the Deceiver. Expertly dividing the remaining forces into two groups, she led them to the Immortal Bastion while the remaining half scoured the capital of Noxus in hopes of catching the fleeing members of the Black Rose.” _

  
  
  


Elise gave a shuddering breath at this. The Contessans were Black Rose hunters, which meant Jane is obligated to hunt them down if need be. She shook her head and continued flipping carefully to the next page, trying not to tear the fragile parchment. Something was attached on the paper with a small clip on it. It was a family photo with a crest of the Contessans boldly engraved on their curtains. Unclasping the photo from the book, Elise held it close to her face to examine each one of them.

  
  
  


It looked as though it was painted on a small canvass, judging by the texture of the photo. Probably they hired an expert and paid him a large amount to get as much detail into a small piece of paper as possible. Or it could be one of them that did it actually. They were sitting on a balcony outside since it was a bit sunny. Elizabeth was what caught her sights first, being in the middle of them all. She wore a black dress with maroon accents, allowing her long silky silvery hair to pop up and flow freely. On her right breast bore the crest of her familia, but this one is white. Her gray piercing eyes were serious and deadly, and yet she held a confident smile that Elise realized Havanna inherited from her. 

  
  
  


Behind Elizabeth was a gentleman that was probably a foreigner. What he wore was in contrast to what Elizabeth wore. He wore a sophisticated tribal shirt that had many abstract and colorful designs yet still had an air of respect and dignity in him. He had tattoos on his tanned arms that were folded on his broad chest. His hair was braided neatly into little ones that framed his face. He had bright and sharp emerald eyes that held an indescribable depth that glistened in the morning light. 

  
  


The last thing that caught her attention were the two children that looked almost identical to the other aside from their height. One bore auburn hair that is only a tad bit brighter than the man’s and is taller and the other had platinum blonde hair and was shorter. The auburn-haired girl held the same smile and radiated energy like her mother’s, but fierce and more untamed. Her gray eyes were sharp and on point, staring at whoever was behind the camera, or the artist. The much younger one’s eyes were emerald and more soft and childish than the older one beside her. Elise realized they were sisters. The older one wore a suit with a necktie while her sister wore a small navy blue dress.

  
  
  


It only took a few moments for Elise to realize that the auburn-haired one was Havanna. She gasped when it dawned that it was their photo, taken presumably after the war. She assumed so because the note below stated that the photo was taken on July 6th, 1505. The war happened in 1490. That was way back then. The smell of lilies was evident in the photo as Elise took a sniff of it. 

  
  
  


She placed the photo back on the page, committing Jane’s adorable feisty face to memory. Her sister...where is she? She never mentioned she had siblings. Elise was expecting to meet them if she ever had any. But...she couldn’t say the same about enthusiastically meeting her parents. Elizabeth looked like she could wrangle Elise’s neck and blow her up into bits if she ever found out her daughter was dating a member of the Black Rose. Her father also looked like he was some faraway place, although in Noxus’s noble system it is seen as a bit of a weakness to marry someone outside of the social circle. 

  
  
  
  


She would have flipped the page over had her sentries not alerted her of Jane’s status. The girl had suddenly stood up even though her eyes were closed. The sentries were trying to put her back to bed but batted them away and are now headed towards the library. Elise carefully placed the book back at the table and sighed. Not long after she heard the double doors open and close shut. Heavy footfalls were heard across the floor even though the floors were covered by the carpet. She could see Jane’s silhouette moving in the dark before the lamp illuminated her form. 

  
  
  


A cold chill that seldom swept over Elise made its way up and down her spine as Jane stared at her weirdly, eyes clouded by an emotion she could not comprehend. Elise made it a habit to change Jane’s clothes in her sleep as the girl would sometimes sleep without so much as taking a shower before climbing to their bed. Now she was in nothing but a simple nightgown, and the spider queen found it a little bit of erotic at the way she stood and stared at her.

  
  


“Jane. Is there something bothering you? Normally you wouldn’t be up this--” She was cut off when Jane came up to her and sat on Elise’s lap, draping herself over the spider queen’s body and settled snugly on her neck. The action gave the noxian a confused look on her face. 

  
  


“I smell lilies…” She quietly whispered, inhaling the scent strongly. Elise took the book on one hand and carefully opened the page with the preserved lily on it. She could feel Jane’s weight deflating as she felt her melt more and more against Elise’s body. “It reminds me of home...I want to go back home…” Her voice carried longing and felt as though it may crack at any moment. With her free hand, Elise gently caressed Jane’s back in an attempt to comfort her as she smelt the salt of tears making its way down her cheeks. Although the girl had the strength to endure whatever happened in the past, she could only hold on for so long before she would eventually break.

  
  
  


“I want to go back home…” Elise could only do so much as feel sorry and be there for her as quiet sobs faintly resonated around the library, the figures in the shadows silently wailing for their heartbroken messiah. As Jane wept silently, Elise became hyper aware that there were moving things in the depths of the shadows and silhouettes of men and women whose faces contorted into everlasting tormented expressions. Their gray discolored eyes were cast over the two lovers’ form as they silently screamed at Jane’s sadness and trepidation. Elise narrowed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Jane’s form tightly over her own, feeling her hidden sets of arachnid legs itching to come out to protect the girl from the mysterious apparitions that decided to make themselves be known.

  
  
  


“Begone, spectres. You have no place in the present.” She hissed, narrowing her eyes as they moved to and fro, holding their heads with their disfigured hands. She could hear their hollow and faraway voices, one by one disappearing until only white noise remained. Then nothing.

  
  
  


For a couple of seconds, the ambiance was unsettling and deafening. Muscles straining for any sudden movement, Elise narrowed her eyes at the corners of the library that weren’t touched by the light. Jane was still quietly hiccuping sobs on her chest, which divided Elise’s attention and hearing to her lover’s heartbeat while keeping the other out for any alerting sounds. The spirits weren’t this active the last time she had an encounter with them. In fact, they were normally calm and only observed from afar. Now, they were coming way too close for comfort.

  
  
  


“Come on hon, let’s go back to bed…” The answers she sought for were in that book. For now, what’s more important is Jane and she wanted to be with her. It was a thing Elise would never put below other things. Her little moth is more important than some bloody history. She could always go back and look at it later on. She could never afford to lose what precious time she has with Jane in the present, time is a very precious thing, never wasted.

  
  
  


Tenderly lifting the girl in her arms, Elise rose and softly padded outside the library. She ordered a sentry to open the doors, feeling the steady rise and fall of Jane’s chest become a rhythm that told her the girl had already fallen asleep. “Oh...my beautiful Jane…” She whispered as she kissed the top of Jane’s beautiful platinum blonde hair. “I normally aren’t one to make promises, but I promise I will be here when you need me…” Holding her firmly to herself, Elise walked to their bed chambers and carefully placed Jane down, as though if she weren’t careful enough the girl would shatter and turn to ash. 

  
  


She could sense them again. They were looming over them, on the ceiling, under the bed, in their closets. They were everywhere, yet much more calm now and merely observed. The moon’s light washed over the room, the little silhouettes were darting to and fro across the shadows and evaded any light from touching their forms. One even went as close as touching Elise’s bare feet before scampering off like a rodent. The act only caused the spider queen to gain interest in their sudden changes in behavior, yet shrugged the thought as the urge to be with her beloved called out to her.

  
  


“I can deal with these miscreants later on.” She stifled a yawn as she got under the covers and wrapped herself around Jane, as she always used to do, and finally closed her eyes.

  
  


Little did she know, there were more to these miscreants that would give them both nightmares and problems to deal with.

  
  
  
  
  



	13. Chapter 13

_ “Ever wondered what it would be like if we never met?”  _

  
  
  


_ She asked so, in a faraway voice.  _

  
  
  


_ “I’ll probably end up like the rest. Self-centered, only knew how to kill and give joy to myself at the expense of others.”  _

  
  
  


_ I replied, looking at the scenery above as the leaves joined with the sky. And she, so close I could smell her scent down to the smallest detail. Fresh vanilla and spring grass, with a hint of mint mixed in them. I can never put a finger as to where it originated from, even she doesn’t know, just that it always stuck with her. A scarred arm snaked its way to my waist close as I cradled her in mine. Her other hand went up, closing her fingers on the bright sun above us. They too were filled with scars, untold battles she wished she could forget. _

  
  
  


_ Yet through it all, she proudly wore them like a dress a girl had gotten for her birthday. I envy her capability to do that. My own scars are something I desperately want out of my body. _

  
  
  


_ “I want to take you back to my mansion, Havanna.” I told her in a calm manner, placing my fingers over the gaps of her own. _

  
  


_ She seldom laughed, but when she did, it sounded as though she were an angel. I never once thought that laughing without being sarcastic and so thick of hypocrisy sounded so nice. She’s so full of things that Noxus was not despite bearing the blood herself. _

  
  


_ “I would bet it’s already filled with cobwebs.” I rolled my eyes as she laughed really hard at her own poor joke. Once it subsided into mere giggles, her piercing gray eyes stared at mine, and I could see history in them. I have lived for a long time, yet something told me she has seen things even I hadn’t.  _

  
  


_ “In all seriousness, I would love to. My home is the forest itself after all. Time and again I will always come back to it.” We can tell various fauna were watching us within the safety of the trees. As though they heard my thoughts, they went on their way down in the underbrush. _

  
  
  


_ “It’s like they knew, don’t they?” Her eyes were on me the entire time I stared in the distance, even she could tell what I was thinking. My eyes scanned the rest of the environment for any more potential onlookers. I could feel her nuzzling my neck, a soft happy churn in my stomach rising as I felt myself become warm at her actions.  _

  
  
  
  


_ “You don’t have a house?” I asked her. Ever since she took me to the forests surrounding Noxus, she never once showed me where she resided, nor were there remains of a village that told me she lived here. Havanna suddenly sat up, her lips poised into a small smirk that told me she thought of something mischievous. “The forest  _ is  _ my home. Wanna come hunt with me? I’m hungry, an elnuk would suffice.” I raised an eyebrow at her as I brushed the few bristles of grass that stuck on my robe. Too much mystery surrounded her, and I know even a year wasn’t enough to know what transpired in her past.  _

  
  
  


_ Without even a warning, I saw her morph into something I only saw once ever since I met her. Her hair had turned into a fiery mane that went past her waist. Toned arms turned thick as muscle grew underneath scarred skin, palms and fingers becoming elongated and bony before meat came in and turned it thick. I could hear the snapping of bones as her torso became broader and wider. Scarred skin became blackened and turned into tough armor that then became joints on her arms and legs.  _

  
  
  


_ My eyes were wide the entire time. Her gray eyes turned into sharp emeralds that stared at the deepest of my soul whilst she changed. The structure of her face changed as her mouth and nose formed together to shape like a beak, which I realized wasn’t what I saw at  _ that  _ time. Before I knew it, the creature that was Havanna had me pinned to the ground once again. _

  
  
  


_ Several sounds came from her throat, her head turning left and right as each of her eyes turned to stare at my face. Then suddenly, my breath hitched when her beak opened wide, revealing sets of small serrated teeth that lined the columns of her gums. A slender long tongue remained unmoving as though it was not functional.  _

  
  


_ I’ve seen this before. It already happened… _

  
  
  


_ When was it..? _

  
  


_ “But who are you?” I asked as I fought for control under it. Its jaded orbs remain unblinking from the back whereas its mouth remains wide. I could hear it chuckle in a distorted voice, void of any resemblance to Havanna’s. The calm air of the forest disappeared as dread took its place in my gut.  _

  
  
  


_ “You would make for a better meal than them.” It whispered in my ear, its tongue coming to life as it licked the base of my neck. An unprecedented shiver ran up to my spine as anger soon seeped into my mind. Adrenaline pumped into my veins as I pushed the creature off of my body. NOTHING and no one else can touch me but Havanna… _

  
  
  


_ The creature darted away from my line of sight as my surroundings darkened, the forest slowly disappearing until all that’s left is darkness and shimmering light above my body. I could feel its gaze on me as I struggled to comprehend what was happening. I brought my hands up to my face and stared at it. I focused my breathing and regained my senses as the familiar setting denoted that I was in some type of dream. _

  
  
  


_ “Come out into the light. I’m not afraid of you.” I raised my voice loudly and confidently into the void, only to return back to me in the form of an echo. I could feel its heavy steps slowly circling me while its gaze bore holes on my head. It kept on doing this for who knows how long until I could feel its breath on the back of my neck. I spun around and froze. It greatly resembled her in so many ways, yet her complexion was paler than True Ice. I spotted a pair of moving antennae atop her mane-like hair, yet what truly captivated me were those glistening pairs of emerald orbs. _

  
  
  


_ We stared at one another for a while, I admit that I was too afraid to break whatever silence fell between us. I felt her hands, now long and sharp, yet still soft, hold mine gently. It took me a few short seconds to realize that  _ I _ was the one looking  _ up _ at her.  _

  
  
  


_ “You’re not afraid?” It was still the lovely voice that rang in my ears every time she would laugh. I was so busy staring at her eyes that I didn’t realize she held my waist and drew me closer to her new body. I couldn’t even answer her question. Everything was so hazy, I don’t know if it was a dream or not anymore. _

  
  
  


_ “J-jane?” I stuttered. A moment ago, it was Havanna. I could tell just by the tone of her voice that it wasn’t that girl -woman- anymore. This being in front of me was definitely Jane. Said being only stared down at me, weighing her answers. _

  
  
  


_ “Do you think i’m Jane? Do you think I’m Havanna?” I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. It was a question I asked myself a great amount of times during the course of my time with her. Was there any difference to begin with? The only thing that changed was her physical form. She might not have the scars Havanna had, but I always know that deep down she still felt as though she carried them. As though they were still visible to the naked eye. _

  
  
  


_ Jane, or Havanna, I don’t know anymore, cocked her head to the side and stepped away from me, her hand sliding away from the comfort I needed in this situation. I frowned. Normally in situations where I don't understand a thing, I try to grasp at the facts, formulate plans, execute them with practiced ease. With Jane...I don’t know a single thing, i don’t know how to respond to her advances, to her attitude, to herself as a person. It only happened with her, and it should remain that way. _

  
  
  


_ She began circling me at the edge of the light. Sometimes half of her body would dip in the darkness, then back where I could fully see her. I could now focus clearly on her metamorphosed body, her legs had elongated and had added an extra joint in them, so now it looked like she was standing on the front of her feet. I also keenly saw a smaller set of arms beneath her much larger ones, tucked away safely. Although she grew tall, she also became much more slender and curvy. From what I could deduce, her skin had turned into an armor like carapace. The last thing that i noticed was something like a cape that hung low in her back. I realized then that they were actually wings. Transparent looking with a sheen of powdery silver. _

  
  
  
  


_ “You’re both. Does it matter which name I call you?” Her eyes never left mine the whole time, even as I replied. She stopped for a moment, to consider what I had said, then resumed her motion of circling me.  _

_ “That precisely  _ is  _ the reason. I’m neither.” I stared at her in confusion. I wasn’t thinking straight, my mind was hazy in this dream-like state. Her words were incoherent and strayed further from my understanding the more I tried to make sense of what she was trying to say. Really, this isn’t my way of thinking, I had to iterate this to myself rather than to whoever else was out there that could read minds, or whatever. _

  
  


_ I tousled my hair out of frustration. I want to go back to sleep but at the same time i can’t. It is safe to say that even though my body is technically asleep, and I'm in an astral place, my mind is once again tired. Everything about Jane is nothing short of exhausting, but the reward that was given to me was so much more worth than what I brought to the table.  _

  
  
  


\-------------

  
  
  


Elise’s eyes fluttered open before she could break the deep rhythmic breathing everytime one slept. With a soft inhale, her heart began beating faster before scanning her surroundings. The familiar sight of her bedroom laid bare before her, curtains billowed against the wind that sneaked its way from the open windows. Her senses softly coming back to her, she flexed her arms and legs, then her fingers and toes. Taking a deep breath, this time clearing her mind of the haze and grogginess. But what took in its place was the watery and heavenly scent of the person dozing heavily beside her. With a small smile gracing her lips, Elise softly turned over to her lover’s direction.

  
  
  


Jane was using her arm as a makeshift pillow, her delicate platinum tresses sprawled all over the bed as though it were a veil that covered her form. Their bodies were close to one another to the point where the spider queen could feel the warmth radiating from her. The sight was too pure to be disturbed.

  
  
  


“Too fragile…” Her voice was hoarse from hours of unuse, yet she retained the smile on her face as she kissed the tops of Jane’s head. Since it was one of the rare occasions where she woke up first before the energetic girl, Elise had time to ponder over what occurred in her dream. 

Propping an arm up, she began to softly caress Jane’s long hair while she drifted off to her thoughts. She can vividly remember that…

  
  
  


What is that creature that depicted itself as Jane? It looked as though it were a sort of moth-like species. It also told her a lot of things, like how it told her that she wasn’t Havanna and Jane at the same time. While that may be just nonsense, just a little thing her mind cooked up as a result of diving so deep in the girl’s history, a little part of her mind, the one that whispered incomprehensible things in her ear, thought it to be true. 

  
  
  


But there is no more to say about what Jane -that  _ creature _ \- told her. She is neither Havanna nor Jane. They aren’t even supposed to be two entirely different people, Elise lightly shook her head. Jane still loved doing the things Havanna loved. She was still highly energetic, competitive, strong headed, passionate, and her scent remained the same. Bits and pieces of Havanna’s past may have not completely passed over to Jane, but the summoner took it all in nonetheless, as though she was used to doing it for a very long time.

  
  
  


Flawless fingers trailed the platinum blonde’s jawline, feeling the cool unblemished skin underneath. For a moment, Jane stirred, head leaning in slightly to the spider queen’s soft ministrations, before ultimately deciding to scoot closer to the source. Elise chuckled lightly, moving her fingers down to Jane’s neck. She felt her chest swell with pride when she stopped at a certain spot below the girl’s ear. It may not have the scar in her new body, but she knew the girl wore it the proudest. They have done it before, Elise and Jane. Showed the other what they felt instead of talking it out. Spreading two fingers apart, she felt the spot where two of her incisors should’ve marked the skin. Even if the mark isn’t visible, it will always stay there, to show the world that she belonged to Elise and Elise only. 

  
  
  


Looking at it also made her aware of hers. She felt her own neck and touched the exact same spot softly, a small tingle running up and down her spine the moment it connected with her fingers. A symbol of claim, whoever has the same biology would immediately know when to steer clear away from them. As she twirled Jane’s hair in between her fingertips, all became calm and serene.

  
  
  


Until her phone rang.

  
  
  


Faster than a lightning strike, Elise’s mood turned sour as she glared at the offending device. Beside her, Jane slowly tensed as her eyebrows furrowed at the noise. Elise immediately grabbed her phone and almost crushed it in her hands while shushing Jane back to sleep. She knew the girl didn’t like being disturbed in her sleep, especially in the wee hours of 4:30. She might get mad at Jane when she wakes her up, but Elise had witnessed how the girl wakes up when she was disturbed. Pure. Monstrosity. Jane knocks things over in a tantrum worse than when Elise herself hadn’t had her dose of caffeine. Claw marks would be found anywhere in and out of the mansion. Lots of things will be destroyed, smashed, beaten until it breaks. That time, she couldn’t get to Havanna’s thick head and settled on just letting her have her way and destroy a part of her mansion’s interior back in Noxus. 

  
  
  


She answered the phone call without so much as batting an eyelash at the caller i.d. 

  
  
  


“This better be  _ fucking  _ worth calling  _ me  _ in this god damned hour or i’ll make  _ SURE  _ i’ll send hordes after you and  _ personally _ melt your  _ face. _ ” She hissed under her breath, clutching the phone with restrained effort. She could hear a feminine voice gasp with total sarcasm on the other line before greeting her. She couldn’t care less of who it was, even if it was the Grand General himself. No one else is allowed to interrupt her and her mornings with Jane. 

  
  
  


“There’s a direct way to greet a fellow noxian in the morning.” A sultry voice that clearly had an agenda flowed through Elise’s ears that made her roll her eyes in disgust. She carefully slid her arms out of Jane’s touch and quickly replaced it with her pillow, to which the other noxian accepted, immediately calming down when she inhaled Elise’s scent and went back into a deep slumber. The spider queen strode out of the room quietly before tending to her unwanted caller.

  
  
  


“What do you  _ want  _ at this hour  _ Cassiopeia _ .” Elise said, not bothering to hide her annoyance and frustration. She made way to her office and closed the door with more ferocity than she intended. 

The other line went silent for a few seconds. She could feel the metal casing of her phone start to bend under her fingertips the longer Cassiopeia held her line. “Why not spit it out? Since you’re so  _ good _ at doing it.” She finally gave in and growled, this had better not be another one of her  _ favors. _

  
  
  


“I want you to get something for me in Shurima. A tome of sorts, near the Tomb of Emperors.” Elise swore she could feel her eyes burning holes at the nearby vase she stared at. The more she agreed to whatever this serpent asks - _ orders _ \- her to do, the more tedious and difficult it becomes. At most times whatever Cassiopeia repays back isn’t even worth what she had to go through. Traps, mazes, monsters, especially the void  _ swimming _ under the desert sands. Hell no.

  
  
  


“Haven’t you  _ been  _ to that place before? Why don’t you go back there instead, maybe you’ll find something that can  _ remedy _ your...illness.” She spat back, clearly not having this fetch order. Not anymore, at least. She could tell Cassiopeia became agitated and furious with what she heard, if the intense hissing on the other side wasn’t clearly a sign. Well, if she went there, knowing that things such as  _ transmuting  _ someone permanently into something hideous, with the primary example of Cassiopeia on the top, then she’d chop her own legs instead. She was lucky enough to retain the beauty she desired, having to become a permanent arachnid would forever damage her, which is the case for the now serpentine Noxian. 

  
  
  


“Your opinion on the matter is far from needed,  _ cretin _ . I want you there to steal a valuable scroll from the excavators that dug too near from that graveyard. The information stored in it may just be what I need to finally solve this...puzzle, no, dilemma, I have.” Elise began to see her peripheral vision turning into a mad shade of red the further the snake woman explained. She basically wanted her to do something so dangerous just because she couldn’t figure out that ‘oh-so-valuable-puzzle’ going on her head. 

  
  
  


“Go play fetch with your agents instead. I’m not going to risk something on that dangerous level for someone else without something to compensate for it equally.” She could hear herself seething. She could feel her fangs twitch as the first drops of venom landed in her tongue, tasting bitter and sour. “I might’ve given it a chance if you called me sometime later, but apparently you lost it.” Without so much as waiting for a reply, Elise immediately hung up on her. She sighed, feeling her phone bend a little in the shape of her fingers. “Good riddance… She never knows when to quit. What a sore thumb.” The spider queen rolled her eyes and was about to head back for their bedroom, when out of the corner of her eye…

  
  
  


She spotted a little black figure with golden orbs, peeking behind the couch. It had no form that could tell her what it was, just that it had eyes, and it blinked the moment Elise caught it red handed. With an inaudible gasp, it scurried away from her sight and hid below the couch. 

  
  
  


_‘ Great’,_ Elise thought. Now there are shapeless rodents running around the mansion. She rolled her eyes at it and decided that it was harmless so long as it stayed far from her. Continuing past the door, she was met with more shapeless little figures on the hallway, scrambling away from Elise’s sight as she appeared. Now, she can also hear tiny little footsteps across the stairs and through the various vacant rooms within the mansion. 

  
  
  


_ ‘What on earth…’  _ her eyebrows furrowed in visible frustration, her morning now completely ruined. It’s like that thing she saw in her office room multiplied and are now rapidly becoming a nuisance. A  _ menace _ . The spider queen took a few cautious steps, and seeing as nothing happened out of the ordinary, resumed walking back to her and her mate’s bedroom. Still, she wondered, Cassiopeia isn’t the type to stutter over something even as intense as having a stare down with the Grand General. To hear the evident restraint in her voice poked at the noblewoman's curiosity to find out what that might be. 

  
  
  


Hmmm… Now that she thought about it, the lamia’s summoner is Shuriman, and from what she’s heard, ever since those two became partners, the youngest Du Couteau had gotten more sun and matches, and even made a bold and daring move to kiss the Shuriman in front of the whole world in the Grand arena. Elise lightly shook her head. Ah, that single emotion that could turn their worlds upside down…

  
  
  


Before she could even hold the doorknob, a sudden laughter filled her ears, rendering Elise still as a statue, like she was caught stealing. A million thoughts passed her mind by a span of a second, questions like who or what caused Jane to wake up, why was she laughing, did something happen, did she wake up because she was too loud earlier? And other similar lines. But from the sounds of it, her little moth is not upset and seemed to be enjoying whatever was in the room with her. With a single, deep breath, Elise calmly composed herself and opened the door gently.

  
  
  


“What an adorable little thing you are…” Those were the first words Elise was met with when she strode in. The first thing that she saw though, was Jane sitting up with the blankets and her hair still messy. And in her arms was a small, round and black thing with yellow eyes, that peered at the new comer. It was one of those pesky rodents again, the spider queen huffed. They are becoming quite the disturbance, and she doesn't like it one bit. But then again, seeing her lover like that did make the annoyance go away. She smiled, before emerald eyes went up to greet her own.

  
  
  


“Good morning…” Jane replied sheepishly, refusing to look at anywhere else but Elise’s face. The girl must’ve thought she interrupted something important, judging by the intense gaze the noblewoman gave. Realizing this herself, Elise softened her eyes and sauntered over to the side of the bed to greet her. “It’s still early...you should go back to sleep.” She leaned over to touch foreheads with her other, a thing they seldom do but treasure. She could hear a happy sound emanating from the girl on the bed, which in turn improved her mood as well. Jane turned to look at the clock to the side and saw it was only 5:40. Her schedule with Soraka is still at 3. It wouldn’t hurt to sleep in for a few more hours, is what the spider queen was trying to tell her.

  
  
  
  


“Fine, only if you go back right in. Oh yeah, this little critter suddenly jumped on the bed and woke me up. But it made up with me by doing little tricks and those little eyes are just too gorgeous to stay mad at it for long.” The little bundle in Jane’s arms looked up at the Spider queen and saw a little of its life flash before its eyes. She was beyond furious for what happened...it seems. It hid in Jane’s arms and refused to look at Elise again. Jane could only chuckle at that, knowing completely what happened even if she wasn’t looking at the woman beside her. 

  
  
  


“Forgive it, Elise. It made up with me already.” She consoled her. Said woman could only roll her eyes and shake her head in reply as her attention went back to her summoner. “Whatever are these things? I found one hiding in my office, about a dozen in the hallway  _ and  _ probably more in the other rooms.” It was rare to hear the spider queen complaining about something like a normal woman would on any other day. Jane watched as Elise got under the covers and snaked an arm around her waist and held her protectively whilst still looking at the odd creature on her hands.

  
  
  


“They seem like dandelions. You know, like when you blow them from the stem they go whichever direction the wind takes them? At least, that’s what it looks like to me.” To be completely honest, Jane has no clue what they are and why they suddenly showed up. These mysterious creatures also had a personality to go along with them. 

  
  
  


Earlier when she was rudely awakened by something jumping on top of her stomach, there were 

five little black creatures that stared at her before four of them dashed to who knows where. The smallest yet the most inquisitive of the bunch was brave enough to let itself be known and prodded before ultimately being handled by her. And all it did was blink and stare at Jane. Truly an odd little creature.

  
  
  


“So long as they don’t cause any kind of harm nor disturbance in this household, I won’t care.” Elise stifled a yawn with her other hand as her head nuzzled against her pillow. Ah, the queen still needs her sleep. Jane nodded.

  
  
  


“I hope you don’t need some sort of food,” she whispered to the golden eyed creature, “otherwise I’m taking any of you I find outside the mansion. The forest is a place full of grubs, you should be fine there.” The platinum blonde petted the black blob one more time before setting it down on the floor and settling back to bed with Elise.

  
  
  


\-----------------

  
  
  
  


“It’s a shame ranked matches are unavailable today. Come to think of it, how do they do their maintenance anyway, do they scrub the pathways of the Rift?” Jane was actually thinking as she whispered instead of saying it aloud, for fear of getting the stink eye from the Institute staff roaming and cleaning the halls of the Grand arena. It was a friday after all, and no summoner or champion would want to have matches on weekends, save for those who really are dead set on maintaining their status quo, or just plain bored, then they’d hit normal matches.

  
  
  


It’s a bit weird to not have Elise’s presence beside her today. They both had a wonderful breakfast before the spider queen told her she had something to do that involved “Noxian trivial matters,” as she had blatantly put it. Nevertheless, she doesn’t have to follow her all the time. They are both grown and go about in their own separate ways. Just because they are in a relationship didn’t mean they had to breath down each other’s backs ALL the time. Although, in a small part of Jane’s simplistic mind, she wished Elise would do so in their private moments.

  
  
  


Shaking those thoughts out of her head, she reminded herself of why she was here in the first place. Arriving at the surprisingly manned reception, given that the parking lots were empty, Jane tugged firmly at her forest colored cowl and set about for the infirmary. Some of the staff that she met along the way simply appreciated her presence through a simple nod or glance in her direction. Some were relieved she didn’t have any mud on her boots, or that every stride she took was done so in silence. Jane couldn’t really blame them. With the bustling everyday activity it was hectic and the cleaners can’t take an actual break, so her hat’s off to them.

  
  
  


Rounding the white tiled corridors she met another summoner who had the same colored cowl as her. The young boy, judging from his body build and his face, simply shrugged at her and pointed at the door leading to the infirmary. Jane nodded and grasped the knob and pushed in.

From the many rooms that lined the small hallway, again, what is with white, she thought. Jane immediately located Soraka’s quarters from the golden metal plate that was beside the door frame. The noxian faintly remembered that she had to thank the Starchild for tending to her while she was unconscious. Bringing a hand up to the fine burnished door, she knocked 3 times.

  
  
  


Long pointed ears perked before a knock came. The Starchild sighed, the last summoner that she had a schedule with hadn’t even left 5 minutes ago. The only good thing was that the Institute gave her a break by setting the start of scheduled appointments at 12 pm instead of something early like 8 in the cursed morning. Putting aside a random assortment of paperwork under her mahogany desk, Soraka took in a deep breath and raised her voice to let the newcomer in. 

  
  
  


“Oh.” Was what came out of her mouth the moment she saw the odd hair colored summoner from before. The one that exhausted herself beyond the normal standards of a summoner. Not to mention…

  
  
  


The angry and overwhelming pressure of her magical energy was replaced with a calm blue stream. Glancing at the file of the girl in front of her, Soraka composed herself and ushered the girl in.

  
  
  


“Hello miss Soraka. I’m here for my med check. Scheduled at 3 pm?” Jane took off her hood and let her hair fall freely. She handed her paperwork to the purple skinned champion and sat on the awaiting chair in front of her desk. The horned champion smiled at her and gestured to come closer. “Yes, that’s the one. So, to start things off, how are you since…” She trailed off, but it seemed that the summoner in front of her understood. “Oh, that...yes i seem to be doing well. I don’t recall any moment where my body hurts nor do i feel hot or cold.” From what she could deduce from her response alone, the girl was already in optimal condition and didn't need to be examined. Huh, how unlike her to quickly assume such things. If the High Summoner ever heard of her thoughts… Soraka internally rolled her eyes, seeing a very vivid Aquillas on his desk with his hands on his face, projecting a very disappointed aura at her, and even if a little bit deflated. The champion only nodded and stood up to begin the summoner’s physical examination. 

  
  
  


It took about an hour when they finished. A lot of small talk had happened between them that made Jane quickly warm up to Soraka. For whatever reason, there was this strange thing inside her that made her drawn towards the Starchild. Perhaps it was her attitude, or maybe it’s because she was widely known as a Celestial that desired to be a doctor upon arriving to their world. On the other hand, it seemed that the more Soraka was engrossed with this peculiar girl, the more she felt like there’s something amiss with her. It wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling, more like forgetting where she placed something, like a pen. 

  
  
  


“Completely healthy with no signs of lingering illnesses from last time, stable heartbeat, rbc and wbc counts are normal…” Soraka continued listing off some things on her clipboard, it looked like she was checking on everything without reading anything at all. Jane raised an eyebrow at the rapid pace and stared at the Starchild’s face. Her eyes were just zipping back and forth while her hands continued making motions of checking stuff on her board. 

  
  
  


_ ‘Shouldn’t you read that first?’  _ Naturally she was worried if there was something the champion could’ve missed out on. It did concern her health after all. She was about to do some crazy exams and she was going to be scouted by other champions for potential and then she finds out she has an extreme allergy to a certain plant, or food of sorts. 

  
  
  


_ ‘Now that is just completely delirious of you Jane.’  _ She was surprised at Elise’s voice suddenly popping in her head out from nowhere. The woman has no sense of privacy at all…   
  


  
  


_ ‘Speak for yourself, child. You’ve been so engrossed in your thoughts that you’ve been opening our link unconsciously and then sending them to me.’  _ She could feel the eyeroll passing over to their link, and her calling Jane a child just added a little flavor to it. Jane could even make out a little hint of annoyance in the general direction of where Elise might be. 

  
  


The summoner sent back a mental eyeroll of her own.  _ ‘Shut up...it’s because Soraka kept on checking everything in her list without making sure if my health is right for it.’  _ There was a bit of worry in her voice. She might have asthma or something. 

  
  
  


_ ‘What on earth are you so worried for? Have you no trust in my capabilities of taking care of you? And no, you  _ definitely  _ do not have asthma. I would have known otherwise, so stop making a fuss about every little thing!’  _ Before Jane could even respond, she sensed the link being blocked off, probably by her champion. She didn’t know how long Elise had been on the other end and for sure had had it with her limitless worrying and decided to cut the link instead. 

  
  
  


Seeing as Soraka turned another page and continued checking things in an eager pace that never should’ve been like that in the first place, Jane sighed deeply and patiently waited for the doctor to finish…

  
  
  
  


\-----------------

  
  
  


Elise sighed while simultaneously rubbing a hand on her face. Wearing an outfit that consisted of something casual paired with her high fitting boots, she arrived a few blocks away from the Noxian Dormitory. And if it wasn’t for Cassiopeia’s agonizing barrage of messages, which she replied with capitalized “FUCK YOU’s” over and over, just as Jane had told her to do when situations like these happen, the Spider queen could not hold her patience any longer and decided to just “Fuck this” and get whatever the hell is up the lamia’s ass over with…

  
  
  


“My word, Jane’s obscene language is rubbing on me.” Elise grimaced as she made her way to the Noxian cafeteria, and asked her god why of all places, would they meet at such a high risked area, where spies could be at any nook and cranny just waiting for a chance to get information against them. Thankfully the place isn’t busy and the only people there are the workers themselves, but even so, it’s a bit terrible of the serpentine champion. Perhaps she’s losing her edge?

  
  
  


She went to the second floor and leaned on the railings that overlooked the entire cafeteria…

  
  
  


And waited…

  
  
  


She began counting the seconds, she never liked it when the other person she was meeting with was late for more than two minutes. Luckily for Cassioepia, she was willing enough to let the noble be ten minutes late. She knew that if it were someone else, a part of her would itch uncomfortably, the prospect of being stood up or not arriving at the meeting place on time making her irritated and angry. As for Jane…

  
  
  


The girl had definitely helped her with that issue. Now she was a bit more forgiving, accepting a very thorough apology from her clients as a way to compensate for their tardiness. Maybe next time she should implement a two warning system where on the second warning she would eat the person that stood her up instead. That would be a very nice warning. 

  
  
  


And speaking of Jane, Elise wondered how her little moth was doing. Judging from the distance between the institute and the dorms, and the pull that she can still feel from her summoner’s general direction told her that they can still communicate in their shared link. With a little bit of use from her mana, the Spider queen opened up their shared network of thoughts until a little bit of awareness went away and was replaced by a swarm of worried feelings and a little bit of anxiety that wrapped around Elise’s head with a buzz.

  
  
  


_ ‘Shouldn’t you read that first?’  _ the tone of her voice gave away that she wasn’t talking to Elise, but thinking about what someone else was doing. She was beginning to feel a sense of panic rising from the depths of Jane’s mind, her voice was heavily laced by worry that normally isn’t a thing from the chipper girl herself. Jane has a tendency to overthink, and that habit spills into their sacred space and fills it with whatever emotion she feels strongest. This kind of situation often happens more towards Jane’s side as Elise is the more level headed between them. So knowing that it’s happening inclined her to stop it before it fully develops into a mess that would affect them both.

  
  
  


The girl had the audacity to tell herself she might have plant or food allergies, to which somehow, the Spider queen was offended a bit.  _ ‘Now that is just completely delirious of you, Jane.’  _ Elise sighed and rolled her eyes at that. All at once, she felt the storm of emotions dissipate by a ton as the girl’s mind focused on her.  _ ‘That’s right darling, all of that attention to me…’ _ she privately thought to herself. She could feel herself smirk as she reveled at the attention the rookie summoner gave her. It’s probably the only kind of attention she wants at all. Jane, completely unable to control the flow of her thoughts through the link, made Elise aware of her thoughts, and raised an eyebrow when she said that the woman had no sense of privacy at all.

  
  
  


Elise huffed.  _ ‘Speak for yourself child. You’ve been so engrossed in your thoughts that you’ve been opening our link unconsciously and then sending them to me.’  _ She furrowed her eyebrows when she sensed that the girl had a retort coming. 

  
  
  


_ ‘Shut up...it’s because Soraka kept on checking everything in her list without making sure if my health is right for it.’  _ She couldn’t really grasp Jane’s thoughts at all. Her mind is the embodiment of chaos itself, a moment filled with calmness and the next becomes absolute madness and then sadness and then anger and then pain and then sometimes happiness. The only time her mind is in a real state of rest is when she sleeps, and even so, Elise could feel something faint going on in the works. She heard Jane thinking about whether she might have asthma or not. 

  
  
  


_ ‘What on earth are you so worried for? Have you no trust in my capabilities of taking care of you? And no, you  _ definitely  _ do not have asthma. I would have known otherwise, so stop making a fuss about every little thing!’  _ She could feel someone’s gaze over her that signaled her to cut the link off. Not even realizing that she was in deep concentration that made her close her eyes, Elise awoke to see jade slitted eyes trying to bore themselves in her skull.

  
  
  


Elise made an annoyed face. “So the serpent has lost her fangs. How surprising considering you are the one they call the most sinister amongst the siblings of Du Couteau.” She said dryly at the towering lamia, challenging the champion before her in a stare down. Cassiopeia could very well petrify her then and there, but there is no exact reason as to why she should. The Spider queen and her were close acquaintances after all. 

  
  
  


Hesitantly, the serpentine champion backed down and adorned a calm yet rigid pose instead, her deceptively smooth tail coiling around herself. “And you have lost your dignity and adopted a foul mouth instead.” Cassiopeia raised a fine eyebrow, gesturing to the phone in her hands. Elise could only shrug and resumed leaning back on the rail. “Merely the era to blame. You know how millennials are.” She regarded Cassiopeia’s appearance. She had improved dramatically since the last time she saw her. The youngest of the Du Couteau always held herself coldly in public yet always felt like she would run the moment no one would look. She was also one who would hide the once beautiful shade of gold turned brown burgundy hair of hers in a crown that told anyone she’s still of high nobility. 

  
  
  


“You changed, a lot.” She smirked when the lamia fidgeted a bit, although she still had a stoic expression that told her she isn’t fooling around. “How so?” Cassiopeia challenged. Elise merely tilted her head a bit and pointed a finger to her chin, as if deep in thought. “You don’t feel like you’re running away anymore. Something about that hot summoner of yours?” She swore that for a bit, the porcelain skin adorning Cassiopeia’s face reddened ever so slightly. Aha…

  
  
  


“That is none of your concern. Now, since you appeared I won't have to guess that you will take on...my request.” Her voice dropped to an unbelievable octave that Elise switched her normal hearing ears to her much more sensitive ones. Every vibration from whoever she has a conversation with will be translated and heard crystal clear. Even with her eyes closed and even if the person next to her won’t use their voice, she would still be able to decipher what they’ll say.

  
  
  


“Oh,” Elise rolled her eyes once again, “the one you won’t stop texting me for. Ones that included  _ ‘unimaginable’  _ offers and each time I replied you’d raise the rewards higher…” She could tell that the champion before her was annoyed by her replies because her last text was capitalized, like she was showing more and more of her attitude and breaking that rigid, petrified ceramic face of hers.

  
  
  


Cassiopeia responded with a glare in kind, “And also one where you kept capitalizing F U C K Y O U , like a vulgar brat.” She spelled each word with a hiss. Elise chuckled, then suddenly got serious. Checking the time on her watch, she needed to be home by 3:30 and then pick up her girl by 4. What a nuisance this whole ordeal is. 

  
  
  


“Fine then. Business as usual. Like I said earlier, go down to the Tomb of Emperors and retrieve a tome for me. Come to the gardens west of the institute tomorrow night and I will give you the map to traverse the dungeons there. The only thing you should be able to worry about are the void borne swimming freely in the sands. Some of them might have lived in the dungeons as well, but knowing you,” she gave the Spider queen a once over, “you’ll get the job done.”

  
  
  


Elise weighed her options. Trespassing the tomb meant that if she got caught, she might possibly get the wrath of Nasus, Azir and the rest of Shurima on her. Cassiopeia has an uncanny ability to literally slip out of any mess and direct the blame on someone else if she really had to.

  
  


“All i have to do is get a dusty book?” She asked the jade eyed champion in front of her, voice laced with suspicion. Her eyes narrowed when the serpent answered with a slight sneer, “Of course, a dusty book that has all the history of Shurima in it.” Crimson eyes stared still at jade ones, daring the other to look away and say she doesn’t have to steal the most important thing, the actual  _ blueprint  _ of a country. No way will she do something suicidal like that, it only solidified that if she were indeed caught, then every shuriman she’ll come across would no doubt try and kill her. Cassiopeia only stared back, unrelenting.

  
  
  


“And the reward for getting this? Like i said i won’t be doing something this big of a caliber if i’m only getting a smidget .” She was once more reminded why dealing with the snake would end up in her biting more than what she could chew. 

  
  


“I have something you might be interested in.” There was something about the Du Couteau’ sentence that made Elise ‘hmm’ in response. Now that caught her attention fully. Realizing that, Cassiopeia nailed her exactly where she wanted her. “I have an artifact you might want.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I took so long to update T.T It's been a rough year for me and I wanted to take a break from writing because of severe mental block. I'll try to upload again on a weekly basis, sorry for the wait guys T_T


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